A New World
by ResOmnesBeneFacere
Summary: "If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable man must be of learning from experience." George Bernard Shaw. When the Pevensies choose to stay in Narnia with motives of their own, they discover that the two worlds are similar in more ways than they expected. AU Post Prince Caspian. Discontinued, summaries of remaining plot are being posted.
1. Chapter 1

_There are links to two trailers I made for this story on my profile._

_I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia._

**88888**

I am a common Narnian. Which one am I? I might be Finnigan, or the Mayor of Beruna, or Augustus of Galma, or any of the simple Narnian folk you will encounter. But this is not my story. This is the story of the people who shaped the land I lived and died in. For the fate of a world can hang on the caprices and failings and triumphs of a few. None of us are perfect; it was mistakes on the part of those whom we followed and admired which nearly destroyed Narnia. In retrospect, maybe I was even on the wrong side, but Aslan will not tell me. All I am is the scribe of the thoughts and actions He showed me; I have no claim to be the judge. That will be His job, when all things come to an end.

This is a story full of laughter and romance, and tragedy and death, and hope for a world I can no longer experience, till Aslan sings into being a new Narnia. Yet His Will compels me to write it, before it fade from the memory of those still living. It is a word of warning but also of hope, and perhaps one day it shall help those still living and suffering in my beloved land to avoid the mistakes we all made.

**88888**

**Part I of "The New World", Being "A World Broken"**

**~Alicia~**

"Nothing will shake a man-or at any rate a man like me-out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover it himself."

_C.S. Lewis_

**Chapter 1- Shattered**

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The world should never have come to this, she reflected bitterly. Across the valley, the red and green banners of the Narnian Army and the bright metal of cold spear-tips sparkled in the rays of the rising sun, and somewhere in that mass of Men and Animals would be many whom she loved, people she admired, people she had called family. Even one who could have been so much closer! It was ironic that the same banners fluttered near her, and soon two armies would be engaged in a stupid, fratricidal conflict, fighting in the name of the same lion displayed prominently as their emblem.

A deathly stillness came over those around her. From the opposite side, the contrasting cheers woke her from her reverie as horses came into view pulling those new weapons. She looked to her left, at the helmeted and armored man sitting stoically on his brown charger atop a knoll overlooking both armies. He nodded; it had come to this. Battle was inevitable. How was it possible? Everything she had known about life had been shattered, twice.

It was fitting that a new, florid dawn was rising, one that would soon be stained with unnecessary blood, the blood of hundreds of Narnians. What kind of land would the next sun rise on? They were the only ones who could change the downward spiral of their land, but it would have to be at the point of the sword and lance. There was no other way. And if they died or succeeded it would be for Aslan. The problem was that the people on the other side of the valley believed the same thing, or at least deluded themselves into thinking so. Or was it we who deluded ourselves, she wondered?

"For Narnia and the Lion!" rang out around her as across the valley another voice, all too familiar, gave a similar battle-cry. There would be no more soul-searching. No more waiting and arguing and discussions in lonely taverns. They would charge, straight toward those deadly black tubes. She thought of another ride through that same valley, six years earlier. Bitter thoughts came to mind of how in those six years she had learned to trust and to love, only to have her life shattered again. How Narnia had changed…no, it was not the fault of Narnia, but of its leaders…

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=Six years earlier=

It was taking too long to cross the valley, she thought grimly. There were too many trees- dark, fear-inspiring trees. And with the falling dusk, it was becoming harder and harder to see the path. Every minute mattered with the crazy plan they were contemplating. Well, it wasn't really crazy and it definitely wasn't being contemplated. A coup was in motion, and she was a key element in the treacherous plan. That was what they all were, after all…traitors. All for the best, supposedly.

She was interrupted by the fact that she was falling. Too late, she saw the rope stretched across the path as she fell hard on her back and her horse kept galloping.

How was it possible? Miraz's messengers used this path frequently; she was, after all, supposed to be carrying dispatches from him. She doubted that he would approve of her message, but he would never learn of it, if things went according to plan. She thought of the Narnian rebels, but they would all be gathered for the coming battle.

Or that was what she thought before four creatures emerged from the woods. Two were tiny little men, who would have barely reached her waist if she had been standing. The others two were horses…but then the girl started. Where was the head? Her gaze travelled upward, at the bare chests, and then the knotted arms with blades at the ready, blades far larger than any she had ever seen, and the heads of men. She had not seen any Narnians at all besides the dwarf the Lord Donnon had captured and delivered to Miraz, though the royal army had surrounded and was prepared to crush the creatures. She was even more shocked when a mouse emerged from the woods. It walked on two legs, stood over a foot tall with ears as large as a rabbit's, wore a circlet of metal around its head with a red feather attached, and carried a tiny little rapier. She did not hear anything it said as the shock and pain became too much. What had become of the world?

**88888**

When she came to, the first thing she noticed was the jostling. She was lying on a piece of cloth stretched between her horse and one of the half-horse creatures. The second thing she noticed was an animated discussion between one of the little men, who was leading her horse, and the mouse.

"And if it was a man, would you be so forgiving?"

"She was unconscious, Finnigan! And unarmed! What sort of valor would there be in killing her?"

"Then give her a sword when she wakes up and be done with it, Reepicheep! Or are we going to make Greydell carry her all the way to the How? And what happened to centaurs not being ridden or used like common horses?"

The girl started when the horse-man spoke. "I do as Sir Reepicheep asks, and am proud to be of service."

"And since when did you, Sir Reepicheep, start giving orders? Or should it be Lord Reepicheep now?" The sarcasm in Finnigan's voice hung heavy in the grey morning air.

"Since I was appointed by their majesties as fourth in command of the army."

"Fourth?" exclaimed the little man, almost letting go of the rope before catching it, giving the girl a jolt. "The Prince, Peter, Edmund, Glenstorm…"

The mouse turned angrily. "First, I object to the order you placed the prince and Peter in. It's High King Peter, and always will be. Second, as much as I respect King Edmund, both the Prince and Peter have virtually ignored him, and as such I consider him outside the…um, chain of command. Same for Trumpkin. And as for Sir Greydell…"

The girl heard the horse-man sigh as the other two fell into an animated conversation, if an argument could be called that. She tried to process what she had observed so far. The horse-creature was a centaur named Greydell, the proud mouse was named Reepicheep, and the equally proud little man was a dwarf named Finnigan. Their conversation was certainly not improving her trust of them.

Then again, she felt she had no reason to trust anybody in the first place. Everything she thought she knew about her land and those around was being shattered.

Her name was Alicia and she happened to be the daughter of a lord named Glozelle. She had never been close to him, and he had not seemed to mind this as he wove in and out of the endless, tangled web of Telmarine politics up to command of the army. She was just reaching the age when suitors were beginning to present themselves, though she dourly hoped that some ill wind would blow them into these Black Woods, where ghosts had been rumored to live. Otherwise, she was of little value to him in the dangerous games he played. So she had never expected him to use her in the way that he had.

"As a girl, Miraz's agents will be less suspicious of you," she remembered him saying. "Make sure this is delivered to my lords Donnon and Galma." So that was what she was worth? To be a messenger for traitors? But she had obeyed him, and now she had failed. Worse, she had not even been captured by Miraz's spies, but by creatures that were not supposed to even exist anymore.

She was interrupted from the bitter thoughts by a jolting and realized the makeshift stretcher was being untied and lifted by two creatures. They seemed half goat and half men, but after seeing horse-men and talking mice she was not as shocked. They were in front of a huge mound on a hill. A pathway sloped below ground to a little stone archway in the earth, leading to an underground chamber. This was surprisingly bright, lit by the light of forges as dwarves and centaurs and those goat-creatures crafted weapons. There were cheetahs, deer, dogs, and other creatures walking around and talking. The goat-men carried her into another, much smaller room to the side and set down. Eight creatures, a dwarf, a centaur, a badger and five actual humans, were gathered around a table talking quietly. She had resolved not to be shocked any more, but that was forgotten as the closest human turned around.

"Alicia?"

"Caspian?"

**88888**

_This book will be divided into five parts. The three parts will focus on Alicia, Peter, and Edmund respectively and their growths. The last two…well, I don't want to give anything else away._

_I'm trying to work from the book-verse of Prince Caspian as far as possible, with some major elements from the movie, namely: pushing up the ages of Caspian and the Pevensies, Suspian (gag, but I have my reasons) (hence, the girls being at the How), the battle of Aslan's How itself, and Edmund and Peter's personalities (but not Caspian's). In short, it's a mix. THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ATTACK ON MIRAZ'S CASTLE, so only those in the Telmarine army besieging the How know the truth about Caspian. Alicia I imagine like a combination of Jill Pole and Eowyn from Lord of the Rings but with black hair, both physically and emotionally. _

_Fun book-verse fact: Aslan's How is a mound. I'm still trying to figure out how a cliff could have grown over Aslan's Table. Any geologists with an explanation, please enlighten us._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2- Introductions**

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Alicia couldn't understand why Caspian wasn't bound, and how he had a sword, though it was different from that which he had once borne. It was of a strange wrought design, dwarvish as she would later discover. Perhaps the Narnians had some concept of honor and Caspian had given them his parole? But why would he do that? "Are you all right? The Narnians haven't hurt you?" Alicia asked, standing up.

To Alicia's astonishment Caspian laughed. "So what tales has my uncle be spreading about me? Ah, I would expect no less from him. You remember that I disappeared the night my cousin was born? It was no coincidence. Miraz meant to kill me! I was able to escape before…er, my uncle's men killed me." An image of Lord Glozelle intent on his death flashed before him, but he reminded himself that Alicia was not guilty of the sins of her father. "I met some of these fine creatures," he said, nodding to the dwarf and badger, "and, to my amazement, Narnian monarchs of ancient legend. These," he nodded to the four other humans, "were once rulers of Narnia! They were returned to another world that they came from, but have been brought back to assist me. So our people say that I have been kidnapped? Well, it isn't true. We're fighting…together…to restore the rights of these creatures."

"But…so it's all been lies…I thought you were being dragged around by dwarves…I was so worried…and now there's talking mice…and goats and horses that look like humans…does my father know you're alive?"

"Yes, I'm afraid."

Alicia could not believe it. Her body ached, but it was nothing compared to the torment in her mind. She was struggling to make sense of it all, and nothing seemed to fit. Her world had not just been turned upside-down; it had been shattered by this strange new reality.

**88888**

Hurt was nothing new to Alicia. It had seemed to follow her from the cradle. It had first been her mother dying while bearing her. Then it was being left in the care of an increasingly distant father and the governesses through whom his wishes for her were conveyed. They were the usual expectations of a Telmarine woman: to be a proper wife eventually, preferably to somebody possessing influence or the oil that seemed to keep Telmar moving, money. When she was introduced to court, there had been the usual procession of courtiers seeking to curry favor with her father by complimenting her grace or beauty, which she knew to be lies, and then promptly forgetting about her. It was a shallow, vapid society, and she hated it. But she had no mother or siblings to lean on. She was alone.

She did not think of herself as bitter and smug, as others called her. She was naturally observant, and she quickly began to notice the hidden faults of those around her in court. Worse still, she would try to correct and help them. It was a dangerous game, and one that made her few friends. The other women of the court, fond as they were of gossip, were not very amused at having their own faults exposed. The result was a vicious cycle that left her rather isolated.

It is true that few can live without companionship, and Alicia was no exception. A few saw the goodness in her and realized that, in her own way, she was trying to create a better land than that she had been so brutally exposed to. Alicia bonded well with these few, of whom Caspian was one. He had also lost a parent early on. Though they never spoke about this, it was a suffering which united the two. The knowledge that he would one day be king also weighed heavily on Caspian. Though three years his junior, Alicia had helped him cope with this and had taught him to care for others. Whether it was reminding him not to ride his beloved Destrier through the crowds of peasants in Beaversdam or to thank those who served him, she had been a guiding influence in his life. And they had had so much innocent fun together, riding through the fields or sparring as they learned the arts of war, before her father decided it was improper and ordered her to stay inside and learn to crochet.

But that world had started crashing down a month before when Caspian had disappeared. She had never been fond of Miraz and had been one of those who suspected him of being responsible, so that revelation of Caspian's had not caused so much consternation. The revelation that her father had been involved was worse, even with her knowledge of his ruthlessness. But it was the fact that Caspian was leading the Old Narnians that shocked her the most.

All her life, Alicia had been taught that they were savages who had been wiped out by Telmarine arms long before. Narnia had been a barbarian land, the stories went, and the Telmarine conquest had brought enlightenment and civilization. She had rolled her eyes at the legends of her ancestors' prowess in battle and generally forgotten the stories, but she remembered enough to imagine Caspian being dragged through the woods by bands of little men, naked and screaming barbarian chants. The four other humans in the room did not fit that description at all. They were dressed in clothes that were rather fine, though in a different, far more colorful style than that of the Telmarines. Neither were they savage at all, but rather looked at Alicia with a wide range of emotions, none malign.

Alicia thought of herself as fair in her assessment of others. After all, she was rarely wrong, or so she thought. But at that moment, all her societal predispositions soured her view of the Pevensies. Being able to see their faults would stand her in good stead in the future, but at the moment she tried desperately to shut out the qualities that part of her saw so vividly in them.

"I should introduce you," Caspian was saying. "This is Alicia, daughter of Lord Glozelle, and a dear friend of mine."

Alicia noticed a raised eyebrow from the older girl at the words "dear friend." "It seems somebody cares for Caspian," she thought. The next moment the rest of her mind was screaming. "No! It can't be! It doesn't make sense!" Then another thought struck her. "Perhaps she has bewitched him?"

"This is Queen Susan, who was called the Gentle by her people," Caspian said.

The more Alicia thought about it, the more satisfied she was with her theory. Susan was beautiful, with brown, almost black hair pulled back in a bun to reveal an oval face with clearly defined features. There was something else that Alicia noticed, though. There was a certain distance between them, though Alicia couldn't quite figure out what it was. Yes, it must have been an enchantment from her over Caspian. Nothing else made sense to her.

"King Edmund, called the Just…"

Alicia took in the somber face and dark hair and eyes that watched her intently. If it wasn't for the eyes, it would seem that he was extremely bored with the proceedings. He lounged against the wall with his arms crossed, with his uncombed hair almost covering his eyes. Alicia remembered what Reepicheep had said about him being ignored. But his eyes were locked with hers and she realized he was probably trying to see into her depths, just as she was his. She saw a kind watchfulness in those eyes. But again, to her this became possessiveness and bitterness.

"Queen Lucy, called the Valiant…"

However hard Alicia tried, she could not come up with a fault in Lucy. She had never seen the mixture of innocence and determination that the girl possessed. She was not beautiful. Her hair didn't sparkle like Susan's, and neither were the features on her face as defined, but the way she smiled would certainly have been endearing if Alicia had been in that mindset.

"High King Peter, called the Magnificent," Caspian finished. While the others' titles did not match immediately, Peter definitely looked the part. The brown hair that swept gracefully across his forehead, the noble eyes, the beautiful sword with the lion's head that he rested one hand on, the way he effortlessly held himself erect…it was hard to believe that he was as young as his face betrayed. Nineteen, Alicia correctly guessed.

But of the four, he was the easiest for Alicia to pigeonhole into one of the types she had established for Telmarine noblemen. The magnificence became pride and desire for power. She could imagine him with a ruthless pragmatism, like that particular type of man.

Then everything was unsettled again. "Glad to meet you," he was saying kindly. "We know how you feel; it was quite a shock for us when we came here and found that beavers and all sorts of creatures could talk. It took a while to get used to, but once you do it's like another world…"

"It was and is for us," added Lucy. "We need to show you around so you can meet our friends. Oh, and the goat-men are fauns."

"Hold on a minute," came from the corner as Edmund uncrossed his arms and pushed off the wall reluctantly. "What are you doing here, anyway?" Alicia did not answer. What could she say?

"Caspian? You know her, right? What's the matter with her?"

The answer was a shrug. "Alicia? Is something the matter?"

"You're among friends," Lucy put in. "We won't hurt you."

If she would have thought about it, it was illogical for Alicia to act the way she did. She had been suspicious of the others for being gentle with her- "trying to put an enchantment on me, I wouldn't wonder," she had thought- and now she was upset at being interrogated. She said nothing.

"With respects, your majesties," said Reepicheep, stepping forward from behind Alicia and bowing. He and Finnigan had remained with Alicia. "We encountered this lady on the road toward Glasswater, northeast of here. She was carrying this message, but it appears to be in code. Or perhaps it is another language your majesties are more familiar with?"

"It's not any language I know," Peter said, reaching down to take the message from the mouse and glancing over it. "Caspian?"

"I don't know," admitted Caspian. "What is this, Alicia?" This was met with a mute glare from the girl.

"Can't you see she's frightened?" Susan put in, to Alicia's relief. "Reepicheep, Finnigan, what do you mean by 'encountered' her?"

"Well, your majesties…" Reepicheep began.

Finnigan cut him off. "Knocked her off her horse, that's all. Ought to have left her there, rather than have to listen to all this here jawing about nothing."

"You did the right thing," said Edmund, taking the message and glancing over it. "Whatever this is, it's obviously important enough for her to not want to tell us, which means it probably isn't good news. Lady Al…or um…."

"It is customary amoung us Telmarines to address one by last name or family estate when using a title, except in case of royalty, when first name is used." Caspian whispered this well-recited bit of protocol in one breath.

"Lady Glozelle," Edmund finished, looking hard at Alicia. "You are friends with Caspian, aren't you? Is this message something that will be injurious to him?"

The tension hung heavy in the air. Alicia looked coldly at Edmund, who looked just as coldly back at her. The others shot looks at Edmund, and Caspian shifted uneasily to another foot.

"Oh, your back!" exclaimed Lucy finally, to the relief of all except Edmund and Reepicheep and Finnigan. "What did you two do to her?" Alicia's dress was ripped and torn, and blood was starting to seep through.

"Come, Lucy, we need to bandage her. And find her a new dress." Susan took Alicia by the hand and started to lead her and Lucy out the room before the others could object.

"Your majesty knows I would never willingly harm a lady, and in fact…" Reepicheep scurried off after the girls.

"The nice thing about Reepicheep is by the time he's done talking they'll have forgotten about the rest of us," growled Finnigan. The others chuckled as the babble of voices faded.

**88888**

_Fun book-verse fact: Caspian's sword was actually dwarvish. __His own blade seemed "__as feeble as a toy and as clumsy as a stick" in comparison. Sorry, movie-verse Spanish basket-hilt. I'll gladly take you._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3- One Honest Person**

**88888**

Alicia ought to have been grateful. Reepicheep had issued a longstream of apologies until Susan shoed him out of the room, and the two girls had insisted on bandaging every one of the wounds on her back. Now she was even dressed in a dress that the fauns had made for Susan. The two had been very pleasant, and had refrained from asking more about her mission. Lucy tried especially hard to cheer Alicia up with a bubbly stream of stories of Narnia and its creatures. But everything they did was viewed in another light by Alicia. She thought they were trying to soften her resistance before working to force her secret out of her again. And the loving attitude Lucy had toward Narnia was shut out of her mind as propaganda. When the Pevensies finally left the room, telling her to stay there and rest, she was sure she knew what it really was- a cell.

But she was certainly tired, and she threw herself on the pile of blankets in the corner. Thoughts of what was happening and what she was going to do would have to wait.

**88888**

She had not slept long when she was woken by a knocking on the stone beside her door. She was quite surprised; as a captive, she hardly expected her privacy to be respected. "Come in!" she called. They would certainly come in whether she wanted them to or not, but she would not do them the courtesy of drawing the curtain.

"Oh, it's you," she muttered when Caspian stepped in.

"No, no, you should rest," he said as Alicia leaned forward, about to stand up. "We're friends, remember?"

"We once were," Alicia shot back, still sitting up, "when you had some sanity. I actually respected and trusted you, Caspian. You were one of the few honest people in a shallow, back-stabbing world. And now? What's happened to you, Caspian? What are you doing with these people?"

"These people are…" Caspian began.

"Barbarians our ancestors fought to exterminate," Alicia finished for him. "And now you're fighting for them, against our own people?"

Caspian leaned against the wall and thought of how to phrase his reply. "Alicia, do you remember all the times you reminded me to care for my people? These creatures are my people as well!"

"That girl has bewitched you."

Caspian burst into a laugh. "You mean Susan? Alicia, the four of them only arrived a few days ago! I met the dwarf and the badger the night after I left the castle!"

Caspian paused, waiting for a reply, but Alicia had none. "What was the matter earlier? Were you frightened of the others?"

"Why aren't you?" asked Alicia. "All these strange creatures that were supposed to have been eliminated centuries ago? And what is it that those four people say they are? Rulers from a Golden Age thirteen hundred years ago? Think about how ridiculous that is, Caspian! Why do you believe such fairy tales?"

"Because I can trust and believe," shot back Caspian. He paused as he remembered how much that implication must sting Alicia. "I'm sorry. I should explain that my old tutor, Doctor Cornelius, is in fact half-dwarf. He told me the truth about the Narnians- that they existed, that they had a civilization as great as our own, that they were not the barbarians we Telmarines think of them as. I know it's different for you, but can't you open your eyes and see the goodness in them?"

"Every person has goodness in them," replied Alicia. Her resolve was starting to crack, but she was too proud to give in. "I can see the faults in them, too. Why? Why do you believe? What is it that will make you throw away everything we know for…this? This damp place, that ragged army of barbarians…"

"I believe because many of them believe," said Caspian slowly. Nobody but Alicia ever asked him questions so personal, reaching into the depths of his being. "It began for me simply as a desire to stay alive, and to regain my rightful crown. But so many of them had a trust that their land and freedom will be restored- and that their ancient kings and queens would come back, which they have, and even that their Aslan will return."

"That demon? That creature of hideous aspect and irresistible maleficence, as the Calmorenese say?"

Caspian looked slightly pained. "One that they would willingly give their lives to serve, as He gave His life for them once. Ask Lucy about that tale. But the point is that, in this imperfect world, they believe and trust. I suppose that's affected me."

"Yes, it has!" Alicia jumped on his words. "So simply because somebody has a dream of a brave new world you have to adopt it too? Oh, maybe I'll dream of how I want Telmar to be and it will happen!"

"But I know you do dream of a different Telmar! How often did we talk of what our ideal land would be? By bringing these Narnians into our land, we can create a whole new world! One where people have vision, one with less of the shallowness and backstabbing we've talked so much about!" Caspian was becoming somewhat frustrated. He had a vision of what he wanted his land to be, but his friend was refusing to open her eyes and see that what she had always desired was before her.

"Do you really think that, Caspian? Are you so naïve to think they're perfect? While they were taking me here, that dwarf Finnigan wanted to kill me! Are those the people you want to rule?"

"And do you want to continue living life as we've known it, a life that you hate? A life under Miraz's tyranny, to be married off to a nobleman you hate, to live a life in a decaying land?" Caspian paused to collect his uncharacteristically spontaneous words. "Alicia, when I first met them, many, like Finnigan, were suspicious of me. Some wanted to kill me as well. But they came to trust me, and you need to trust them. Take the lords, for example. I know how you despise them, and in a way so do I. But I'll have to work with them to try and remake our country. It will have to start with trust, and it will have to go both ways."

"You're mistaken again, Caspian. You think the lords will support you just because they hate Miraz? They're plotting to kill Miraz and put Sospespian on the throne!" Alicia swallowed hard as she realized what she had admitted.

"They are…what? So was that what your mission was for?"

Now that she knew her father had lied and Caspian was alive, Alicia had no regrets about having failed that mission. All those lords wanted was to replace one tyrant with another. She hated Sopespian's oily scheming and Donnon's cold pragmatism. The Duke of Galma was different. He was jolly and actually pleasant to converse with, but he also did live on an island, away from the influence of the rest of Telmarine society. Lord Gregoire, Lord Alba and the others were all simply stoic Telmarines who never allowed a personality to shine through their metal warmasks. Her father was similar to Lord Donnon, but she remembered the kindness he had once showed her and still, though rarely, displayed. It had been years since he had treated her as a father should treat a daughter, though.

And now Caspian was suspicious of her as well. If only she could make it up to him in some way…

Alicia made her decision. "My father called me to camp yesterday and told me that he and some of the other lords plan to kill Miraz in an upcoming duel of some sort. They need to be sure that the cities were secure behind them, though, so I was to bring that message to Lord Donnon and the Duke of Galma. Donnon was to ride to Beaversdam under the guise of bringing reinforcements but really to capture Miraz's son, while Galma would take control in the eastern cities when word of Miraz's death arrived. They just needed to know when to act. But it wasn't for you, Caspian. They planned to crown your cousin Sopespian king. They tricked me, Caspian. My father, tricked me…and so he knew you were alive…I'm sorry, Caspian."

Caspian sat in shock. Another layer of innocence had just been ripped away from him. "I shall have to tell the others," he said finally. "But many thanks."

"I'm doing this for you, Caspian," Alicia said, hardening again. "It's not for your new friends, not for this dream of yours, no, not even for _our_ dream. I just want you to be safe."

"Please trust again, for my sake." Caspian wanted to say more, but it was clear his friend wanted the conversation to end. "Ah, well," he said to himself, "I'll allow her to think." Maybe given some time, he thought, she would see how illogical her position was. He bowed and left the room.

Fate has many twists and turns. When talking with Caspian, driven back on point after point, Alicia's resolve had weakened. Part of her screamed that she was in the wrong and that she should let go of her frustrations and prejudices. But when he was gone, all the old demons returned with a vengeance. The dark room, lit only by the glow of a few precious candles, closed in on her again. And mankind hates a cell.

**88888**

_Fun (fanfiction) fact: This is the first story on this site with the Duke of Galma tag!_

_Of all the characters and places C.S. Lewis introduces and doesn't develop further, my absolute favorite is Galma and its Duke. I see it as a jolly place with an established chivalry, even if the Duke seems slightly clueless._

["We were in port for a week, for the Duke of Galma made a great tournament for His Majesty and there he unhorsed many knights-"

"And got a few nasty falls myself, Drinian. Some of the bruises are there still," put in Caspian.

"-And unhorsed many knights," repeated Drinian with a grin. "We thought the Duke would have been pleased if the King's Majesty would have married his daughter, but nothing came of that-"

"Squints, and has freckles," said Caspian.

"Oh, poor girl," said Lucy.]

_(VDT)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4- The Just Turns**

**88888**

"Good old Machiavelli!" exclaimed Peter. Actually, he did have a liking for the Italian philosopher, though he would never admit it to his family. Peter had been in university for a year studying engineering, something that seemed pretty useless here in Narnia, but he found himself constantly drifting into other studies. One that he had discovered shortly before returning to Narnia was political philosophy, something often far different from the simple way he and his siblings had ruled Narnia and yet strangely fascinating to him.

"Macchus…Machavelus?" asked the puzzled Caspian. "What is that? Some word in your land for pursuit of power?

"Ultimately, yes," answered Edmund, who knew far more about that sort of thing than Peter could ever read. He thought of how desire for power over his siblings had brought about his own downfall once. "He was a philosopher with some rather nasty ideas. The gist of it was that political ambition and what it makes one do are necessary for society to advance. Some people sum up his ideas as 'the end justifies the means'."

"Sounds like far too many of my own people," Caspian admitted.

"Well, what does this mean for us now?" asked Susan. "Before we just had to defeat Miraz, and now the lords are willing to fight you as well?"

"We must be prepared for treachery from any of them during the duel, then," said Peter, frowning. The duel between himself and Miraz would be in two days.

"What about treachery from within these walls?" asked Edmund from his corner. "Can we trust Alicia?"

Caspian looked up. "The Lady Glozelle is like a sister to me," he said, though with a twinge of hesitation. "I am sure she was being truthful."

"I don't doubt it. But why? If she cared for you enough, why did she wait so long before revealing it? Could it be that she's using this as a way to worm into our favor?"

"I've explained…" Caspian began.

"Ed!" exclaimed Lucy. "She was probably in shock earlier, poor girl!"

"I'm sure she's honest. Why wouldn't she be afraid to tell us? She knows Caspian, but we're strangers to her," put in Susan, quite logically actually.

"What do you suggest?" asked Peter. "I mean, we can't exactly put her on a rack and ask her to tell us why she told us something." He did his best imitation of Edmund's tone and failed rather badly, but even Edmund laughed.

Edmund saw he was outnumbered and tried to submit as gracefully as possible. "Well, at any rate we can't allow her to leave the How. She's seen our numbers, our defenses, the tunnels. Whether or not she hates Miraz as Caspian believes, that's information the Telmarines…I mean, Miraz's army, can't have." He looked somewhat apologetically at Caspian.

"Edmund should tell her, then," Susan advised. "Peter? Do you concur?"

"Absolutely. Ed, could I have a word with you first?"

"What is this?" demanded Edmund as Peter pulling him into a side tunnel, out of earshot of the others. Peter hated having a public disagreement among the siblings, not with so many who could see and hear it all.

"You should apologize to her," Peter whispered.

Edmund's mouth opened slightly, then closed, then opened again. "That's rich, coming from you," he muttered. But Peter ignored this reference to earlier events in Spare Oom.

"What's gotten into you, Ed?" he whispered. "Earlier, in the council room, and again just now! The poor girl was hurt, and you were acting like a judge!"

"I _was_ in charge of the legal system, Pete."

Peter threw up his hands in exasperation. "That was then. Can you imagine what a torture that was for her, considering all she's gone through? Her best friend disappears, her father lies to her and uses her as a pawn, and then she's captured by creatures that she didn't know existed? You can't always think the worst of people. Edmund, you of all people should know that."

Edmund flushed angrily, then, clenching his fists, reined in the angry words he wanted to say. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't bring up my past. And can I remind you that we injured and captured her? It's not like she's a damsel in distress we rescued. Look, I just don't want there to be problems because of her."

"Very well, but you're still apologizing to her. That's an order. You were called the Just King, remember?"

"Exactly. I think we might have different interpretations of what that means."

**88888**

Edmund braced himself as he knocked on the wall beside the curtain. Apologizing was much easier for him than for Peter, but it was still never enjoyable. He thought of what he would say, but nothing seemed to ring true for him. Why was he apologizing to a Telmarine messenger, one who seemed to reject every kindness being shown her? He hoped it would not take long. In fact, he almost wished she would refuse the apology and he could be done dealing with her.

He had not meant to be harsh toward her. But experience had shaped him in many ways. On the one hand, there were none as upright and wise in council as him. But this had been born of a desire to make amends for his treachery, and that treachery had other consequences for him as well. The scar he bore on his stomach from the White Witch's almost-deadly thrust served not only as a reminder to be loyal, but as a reminder against misplaced trust. It was Edmund who had been most suspicious of Prince Rabadash; it was Edmund on whom the primary responsibility for maintaining justice in Narnia had fallen; it was Edmund who was always watching, trying to protect his siblings and his people. What especially worried him about Alicia was that he saw she had been watching them as well. And this was an attribute he usually attributed to foreign spies. And a few other people…

"Lady Glozelle!" he called out. "It's me, King Edmund. I've come to apologize."

There was no response from inside. "Let her sulk," Edmund muttered, and he was about to turn and walk away. He was never quite sure what made him stop. Maybe it was the thought that Peter would probably send him straight back. Maybe it was his compassionate side that wondered what was wrong with the strange girl. But regardless, he pulled the curtain and stepped inside.

The room was empty.

Edmund scanned the room quickly and sprang into action. There was only one exit from the How, and if the girl meant to leave she would have had to pass through it. He hoped that he was not too late. Whether she was a spy or not, he was not about to let her go back to the Telmarines with the knowledge she had of Aslan's How.

To his relief, he saw that Alicia was standing by the entrance, in an animated discussion with a dwarf.

"Oh, your majesty," exclaimed Finnigan as Edmund hurriedly arrived. "This girl says you gave her permission to leave. Said she had some sort o' commission from you."

"I most certainly did not," Edmund replied, taking Alicia firmly by the arm. "And Lady Glozelle, I must ask you to remain in your room from now on."

Alicia refused to move. "What else? Are you going to make me wear chains as well? Or try to trick me into joining you like Caspian?" These were sharp words, and she regretted them afterwards. But at the moment she only felt anger at being thwarted.

"You were our guest," Edmund whispered angrily. "I was on my way to let you know that we would only ask you to remain inside. But I can only see you now as a liar and worse. Do you expect us to trust you now?"

Alicia remembered Caspian's words about building trust and knew for a horrible second that she was in the wrong. But pride and anger got the better of her again.

"No, I don't," she snapped. "Nor do I want your hospitality. I want to go free."

Edmund almost laughed. "Free to go to what? Caspian's told us how much you hate Telmar. Go free so Miraz can hang you? I'd say you're far safer with us. Now, will you kindly return to your room, or must we make you?"

"You keep your filthy hands to yourselves," exclaimed Alicia, turning and storming back toward her room.

"Calling the King filthy!" exclaimed the dwarf. "Why, you dastardly little, field-crawling, Telmarine …"

It certainly seemed all of Edmund's fears about Alicia had been justified. But he would not stand for a lady being insulted in this way. "Peace, friend," he said to the dwarf. "And remember that Caspian is a Telmarine as well. Finnigan, you will kindly escort the Lady Glozelle to her room and keep her there until further notice. And you will treat her with the respect befitting her station, as a lady."

"But…I…you aren't…keeping me from the coming battle, are you sir?" the dwarf sputtered, glaring up at Edmund's belt. He paused as Edmund gave him a kind but firm look. "Yes, your majesty." This was the worst punishment that could be inflicted on the dwarf, and Edmund knew that quite well.

It was only as he was walking away that Edmund remembered he had forgotten to apologize. He swallowed his pride and followed the other two toward the room that would now, really, be Alicia's cell.

**88888**

We never truly know the impact our words have. For Alicia had heard Edmund's words to Finnigan.

Part of her was furious at having been thwarted and at Edmund's earlier coldness. But deep within, she regretted her hasty words. Having lied to Finnigan weighed especially heavy on her. She, who respected honesty so greatly, had become no more than those she despised!

She was puzzled by Edmund's attitude. One moment he had been angrily ordering her into captivity, and the next he was shielding her from insult. It was her pride that was primarily affected. She took a great deal of satisfaction from being able to read others' personalities, and Edmund eluded her. As strange as it was, she wanted to understand him. She was sure there was something else behind the suspicious, aloof behavior and wanted to discover what it was.

From that moment onward, she began to see the Pevensies and the Narnians as actual beings like her own people. They had their faults for sure, but Alicia began to open her eyes and see the qualities in them as well. It was born of pride, but it was a great step forward.

Alicia noticed that two people pacing about outside the room. One was the dwarf, judging by the slow, heavy stomp. She wasn't sure whose the other was.

Finally, there was a soft rap from the doorway. This time Alicia got up and pulled the curtain aside.

"Your majesty." She was ever so slightly disappointed as Lucy entered.

Of the four siblings, Lucy was the hardest for her to find fault with. That was, indeed, a hard task for any but Lucy's own siblings. She seemed to bring a breath of fresh air into the dark, musty room with her presence.

"How is your back?" Lucy asked, turning Alicia around. "Susan scolded Reepicheep and Finnigan about it. Don't think badly of them; they're actually quite pleasant creatures once you get to know them better. Finnigan, please stop listening, thank you. Do you need your bandages changed?"

Alicia could hear the dwarf's footsteps fade and for a moment thought of making a dash for freedom. But she could not do that to Lucy. She radiated such obvious sincerity that, however much she wanted to, Alicia could not doubt her or want to take advantage of her.

"No, I don't. But…thank you, your majesty."

"Think nothing of it," replied Lucy, walking over to Alicia's bed and sitting down. "Please, sit down. You should be resting."

Alicia's eyes went wide in shock. It was a serious breach of Telmarine decorum to sit on another's bed, and Lucy seemed to think nothing of it. As much as she despised parts of her culture, Alicia would never dream of breaking customs in so cavalier a manner. It seemed almost an insult to her culture.

But then another thought struck her. She could see no malicious intent in the younger girl, who seemed oblivious to the custom. Perhaps the Pevensies actually were from another world, rather than the Archen imposters she had thought them to be?

"Is something the matter?" Lucy asked kindly as Alicia sat down beside her. "You looked like you were in shock. Maybe you should lie down?"

"No." Alicia smiled, for the first time in days. "It is considered very indecorous among us to sit on another's bed, especially that of a stranger like me. Oh, no, I don't mind," she added as Lucy started to get up. She did actually mind, but seeing how Lucy had reacted added another nail to the coffin of her old ideas about the Pevensies.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Lucy had said. "Why don't you tell me more about Telmar? We never dealt much with your people during our Golden Age, and I suppose they've changed since then as well."

For a moment a twinge of suspicion returned to Alicia, and she wondered if the younger girl was fishing for information. But there was not a trace of deceit in Lucy's tone or manners. Alicia trusted her judgment, and decided she would only speak of things the girl could have learned from Caspian.

"Well, where do you want me to start?" she asked.

**88888**

_I have to disagree with the notion that Edmund would no longer remember his treachery after his talk with Aslan. C.S. Lewis believed in a process of purification, of atonement for sin before one could enjoy Heaven. I believe that remembering his treachery would have made Edmund a better person, but still been a source of purifying, internal suffering for him. And seriously, they're right there, at the place where Aslan died for him!_

_Fun book-verse fact: Glozelle is never called General, just Lord._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5- Cold Memories**

**88888**

Alicia was amazed by how much she learned as they talked about their peoples and their lands and customs. Lucy was full of both questions about Telmar and descriptions of life in the old Narnia and in England, and Alicia found herself realizing that the life Lucy described seemed much more pleasant than her own in Telmar. She was sure that Lucy was overly enthusiastic about some things, but her descriptions were so full of life and detail that they could not be false.

What impressed Alicia the most, though, was the human aspect that Lucy brought to the history. She talked about the Pevensies, and their life in England, and how they arrived in Narnia and of their reign. She did not mean to, but it was clear that Lucy knew the faults of herself and her siblings, and this slipped into the conversation. Alicia knew a Telmarine noble, especially one trying to impress another, would never allow this to happen. But now she was seeing them as human beings, with all their faults and foibles, and starting to like them and their depths. Having grown up in a vapid society, this seemed like a breath of fresh air to Alicia. But there was one person she was still especially puzzled about.

"What's the matter with Edmund? I don't mean it badly, but I could see, not only was he suspicious of me, but there was something else in him, like he was doing it because of some inner sadness?"

Lucy gazed at Alicia. "You noticed?"

"Does it have something to do with the Witch? You said he was captured by her." This and her previous question were actually guesses, but Alicia felt that she was on the right path and leaned forward to catch every word.

Lucy nodded sadly. "You seem smart enough to figure it out sooner or later, so I might as well tell you. The Witch tricked him into betraying us, and Aslan died for him. Don't think badly of him for it; Edmund's such a nice person now when you get to know him better. Aslan forgave him, but he still lives with the regret, though we never remind him. He tries too hard to undo the evil he caused. That also makes him a bit suspicious of others sometimes. But he's just trying to protect us all."

Alicia thought with a pang that she was guilty of the same failing, but said nothing. Lucy did not give her a chance to speak, anyway.

"Did you notice how well he gets along with the dwarves?" she continued. "It's because he knows what they're going through. Many of their ancestors fought for the Witch, and so they have to bear a burden of treachery through life. And he understands them."

Alicia was beginning to wonder why Lucy kept talking about Edmund. But regardless, his attitude made far more sense now. It was strange that the questions arising in her mind were being answered before she could even formulate them. But she rather smugly doubted anybody would be able to read her so clearly, even Edmund. This belief was carried away, like so many of her previous assumptions and beliefs, by Lucy's next words.

"You see, Edmund asked me to apologize to you for him for the way he treated you earlier. He mentioned you probably wouldn't understand why he acts the way he does and would want to know more. Look, he doesn't trust you and that influences the way he acts toward you, but give him time and maybe he will."

"Do you trust me?" asked Alicia. Part of her wanted Lucy to say no. It would be so much simpler for her; she could go back to hating the Narnians, secure in the belief that the feeling was mutual. But having been deprived of most human affection for sixteen years, part of her longed for that trust of which Caspian had spoken.

Lucy laughed. "Edmund says I'd trust Tash if we ever met. Of course that isn't true; I think my love of Aslan would come first. But I do like you. It's not just that I feel sorry for you, with everything that's happened to you. I think I can understand something of how you feel. You lost your mother; my father's been fighting far away from home for years. I'm sure you feel alone here, among all these creatures you've never seen before. I often feel alone too, though it's a different type of loneliness. Sometimes, back in my world or even here, it's feeling like I'm the only one who believes in a Higher Being like Aslan. Or sometimes it's being the only one who trusts entirely in Him. So yes, I trust you. I don't see you as a spy; I see you as a hurting girl who needs to trust again."

Alicia was even more shocked and disturbed. Lucy spoke of feeling sorry for her almost as a postscript, as if it was the most natural thing ever, but this affected her greatly. Alicia generally spoke her mind, but in Telmarine society it was considered weakness to accept condolences. She still gave them, but almost never received them. But now she was experiencing it for the first time in years, and wondered how her people had lost so many human emotions. The gulf separating her from her old world was getting larger even as the bridge the Pevensies were building her to a new one grew.

**88888**

Though she chafed at being confined to a cell, the next day passed far quicker than Alicia would have expected. Finnigan was as gruff as ever, but he had refrained from insulting her and even struck up a couple conversations. Peter, Susan, and Lucy all stopped by several times to visit. As she saw them more, it was becoming harder and harder for Alicia to continue finding fault with them. The way they treated her-Lucy with her vivacity and attention, Susan with her gentle care, and Peter with his kindness and courtesy, as befitting a real king-left little room for her old prejudices to hide.

The only nobleman or woman her age she had ever found to be a friend, besides Caspian, was the Duke of Galma's son, Augustus. And after a week in court he had disgustedly returned to his island and his 'freckled, squinting' sister and sworn never to set foot on the mainland again. Alicia did not blame him. But now she was discovering a whole new world of character and personality she had not thought possible.

The one she was the most curious about, though, had not even walked by the room. But something that happened that evening made a great impression on her. The bowl of soup she was served was bland and not very satisfying, but Alicia understood enough about war to know that the siege her own people had placed on the How was the cause of this hardship. However, she also noticed that her portion was far larger than Finnigan's, even taking their size difference into account. She pointed that out to the dwarf, though she did not offer any to him.

"King Edmund gave you most o' his portion," explained the dwarf gruffly. "Typical him; I don't understand him most times. Even wanted me not to tell you. You probably wouldn't be grateful, anyway."

This only made more Alicia more curious, as she sipped the soup with a pang of guilt in her soul.

**88888**

Even with the scheduled duel, the fighting had not entirely stopped, as Alicia discovered on the next day. She had drawn back the curtain to try to circulate some fresh air, and saw several Old Narnians being carried past on stretchers, a stony-faced Edmund following them.

A thought struck Alicia. Maybe she could get out of the dark, damp cell…

"Do you need assistance?" she asked. "I can help nurse them."

Edmund stopped and looked suspiciously at her. "Why?" he asked. "Why would you care for these _barbarians_, as you call them?"

"I spoke in haste." A burden seemed have been lifted with this admission. "But it hurts me to see others in pain and not to do anything about it." This was true toward her own people, Alicia thought. But was she a hypocrite not to apply it to the Old Narnians as well? Her conscience shouted that she was and would not be silenced.

"Well, I suppose since my sisters aren't here we could use the help. Finnigan, you know what to do if the Lady Glozelle tries to escape. I have…other matters to attend to."

"Why have you been trying to avoid me? Has my conduct been so shameful? If so, I'm sorry."

Edmund did not answer as he walked away into the dark corridors of the How.

**88888**

The Pensevies were tight-knit. They had lived through wars in two worlds. They had grown up together, twice. Though Peter had become more distant over the past year with his longing for Narnia and Susan with her parties and friends, nothing would tear them all apart. Ever.

The bond Edmund and Lucy shared, though, was even closer. Edmund had once been jealous of the younger sibling who had stolen others' love and attention away from him, and after his reformation he had worked hard to make up for this. As time went on, though, they realized how well they fitted with each other. Lucy's vivacity balanced Edmund's occasional moroseness; Edmund's logic complimented Lucy's immense faith in Aslan. Lucy made friends with everybody; Edmund judged them and saw the faults as Lucy saw the qualities. The transformation in Edmund from a spoiled, willful child to a generally kind, intelligent young man had been due in large part to Lucy's qualities affecting him. Similarly, Lucy, in her growing maturity and wisdom, owed a good deal to Edmund.

Now they sat on the edge of the hill overlooking the field on which, the next day, the fate of Narnia would be decided. Lucy and Susan had slipped out to search for Aslan that morning without success. Susan was becoming quite discouraged, and even Lucy had lost some of her bubbliness.

"I can't believe He'd ever abandon us," whispered Lucy. "I'm sure we'll find Him. Maybe the need just isn't great enough yet."

"I'd hate to see what a truly great need is, then," commented Edmund, but he really agreed with Lucy. "Or perhaps we just need to prove ourselves to Him first, just like Beruna."

There was a long silence as they sat watching the sun set in the distance. They were wrapped in their own thoughts even as they leaned against each other.

"Do you know what Nausus told me?" Lucy asked finally.

"That Alicia took care of him?"

"No, not just that," exclaimed Lucy. "He and Camillo the Hare were arguing about whose fault the skirmish was, and she made them apologize to each other."

"I heard about that," sighed Edmund, pretending to yawn. "Her and her tongue." Lucy was not fooled.

"Her tongue? That's all? Well, Nausus said he felt like she was..looking into him, and probing him, and making him feel so ashamed with her words. He said he never felt so sorry in his life but still…refreshed. I'm starting to like her, Ed. She can be kind, and she's intelligent…"

"That's not exactly improving my opinion of her," muttered Edmund, looking down at his feet.

Lucy reached out for his chin and turned Edmund's head to face her. "She reminds you of…her, doesn't she?"

An icy chill ran through Edmund's body. "Yes, a little. And, at the same time, not at all. Does that make sense?" He wished Lucy hadn't brought up the subject and decided to cut it off there. "Let's go inside," he said suddenly, standing and helping his sister up. "We have a long day tomorrow."

Lucy didn't say anything. She also believed it was better not to discuss that particular episode of their lives. Frankly, she wouldn't have known what to say. And so, arm in arm, they walked silently down the path to the How. Their sadness echoed that of the silence which surrounded them.

**88888**

_Fun book-verse fact: The Battle at Aslan's How was actually a siege that lasted for some time, with skirmishes and sorties and attempted !flanking!_

_Sorry, I hate Hollywood battles. They're so boring. Well, collapsing the How was pretty smart except…I won't start._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6- Chance at a New Life**

**88888**

A stillness hung over the How the next morning. The forges were quiet as the Narnians armed themselves, certain that there would be a battle, and made final preparations of another nature. Alicia saw the reconciled Nausus and Camillo awkwardly embracing each other as they passed by her room before heading outside. Reepicheep came to talk to Finnigan, and not a cross word had passed between them. Others she saw bowing their heads and invoking Aslan.

"You have so much faith in this Aslan," she remarked to Lucy, who had come to say farewell before leaving to look for Him again. "And not just you but all those out there. I wish there was something I could believe in so strongly."

"I'm sure you'll see Him soon," Lucy smiled. "And then I'm sure you'll believe in Him. Believe it or not, many of us- Trumpkin, for one-still doubt Him, like you. But for others the fact that we came restored their trust."

Alicia wanted to trust again. Many of those around her were going to die because of the desire for power and the shallowness she had grown up with. Just that day, her father and the other lords were betraying Miraz, and then they would betray Caspian as well. But she was gaining new friends with depths she had never imagined possible, and now she was afraid of losing them.

"Be careful," she said, squeezing Lucy's hand.

**88888**

Peter was glad his room was so far in the back of Aslan's How. It was quiet, quiet enough for him to think. After going over and fine-tuning the battle plan for the past hour with Caspian and Glenstrom, he felt he needed a breather. Especially after Reepicheep had entered, respectfully bowed, given them his compliments, and then proceeded to explain for fifteen minutes why he should have been invited to the meeting. Peter remembered that some claimed that he had wanted to turn dear old Beaver into a fur hat, and wondered how mouseskin would feel. Probably quite scratchy.

Far too many thoughts were running through his mind. It was past dawn; at noon he would be battling Miraz to decide the fate of Narnia. And even if he won, if Alicia was telling the truth, they would then have the lords to deal with. Either way, there would be a battle.

He looked beyond the battle and thought about what restoring Narnia would be like. Sorting out the mess with the Telmarines, even if they won, would certainly be a challenge. There were too many ifs.

He wished that he could have Lucy's faith in Aslan. But Aslan had sent them away from Narnia in the first place, he thought bitterly. Though centuries had passed between their departure and the Telmarine invasion, he could not help feeling slightly guilty that Narnia had fallen. Peter wanted desperately to restore it, and to stay.

But failure seemed far too much of a possibility. And as the eldest, it was his duty to think of all these possibilities. What if he died and the Narnians were defeated? He did not want his siblings to die in a hopeless cause.

But he knew the harsh reality- if they were defeated, the Telmarines would not rest till every one of the gathered Narnians had been exterminated. It had happened far too often, in two worlds. He began thinking of the others, as well. He knew Caspian and Glenstorm and Reepicheep would insist on dying on the field of battle, with honor. But there were others…Alicia, for one.

Caspian was sure that if she was taken by her own people, they would hang her as a traitor. She had betrayed Miraz, and the lords would certainly not trust her when they realized the Narnians were prepared for their treachery. Peter hated the thought of that. He liked her willingness to speak her mind, and her concurrent fragility appealed to his chivalrous nature. If only there was something he could do to prevent that from happening to her…

There was a knock from the doorway and Edmund entered without waiting for a reply. "Come on, old chap, it's almost time. I figured you'd need some help with your armor."

"Indeed." Peter always laughed when reading about knights jumping into their armor at a moment's notice. It was a long, tiring process. First on went layers of cloth and leather padding to protect him from his own armor. Next was a fine mail coat of dwarvish mail and the really tiring part, putting on all the different extra pieces of padding and guards. It seemed to have been half an hour before Edmund finished buckling on the last vambrace.

"You look splendid," said Edmund. "Now go and do Aslan and us honor."

"There's one more thing I have to take care of," said Peter, picking up Rhindon. "Come on, I need to talk with Alicia. And you're coming with me."

"So I have to be with the two people I don't want to talk with right now," muttered Edmund.

Peter laughed. "One would think you were the one about to fight a duel," he said.

Edmund laughed as well. "Right now, I'd rather be an outlaw running for my life."

**88888**

Alicia was certainly surprised when, immediately after Edmund stopped outside the room to explain to Finnigan that he wouldn't be able to fight in the coming battle, Peter appeared and stepped into the room.

"Lady Glozelle, I've told Edmund that, if something happens to me and we fail, he's to find our sisters and try to get them home…"

"Fat chance of that happening, just like last time," Edmund interrupted, grinning from behind Peter. It is curious how we humans will fear an approaching moment, and then when it arrives be downright giddy. Edmund was no exception.

Peter glared at his brother before continuing. "I've told him to find our sisters and try to get them home, back to the world we came from. Caspian told us that you were unhappy with life in the Telmarine court. You can go with them, and maybe Aslan will allow you to go to Earth. You can start over there, in a society where women are treated with respect…"

"Once were," called Edmund.

"Edmund, please be quiet," Peter growled, though he almost smiled at his brother's dark but factual humor. Peter's idealism and Edmund's reasonableness generally complimented each other. "You can start over, start a new life where nobody knows you. And you wouldn't be alone, either. It will certainly be better than what awaits you here."

Edmund had not been pleased at Peter's offer, but he understood what Peter meant by what awaited Alicia and shuddered at the thought. He remembered another traitor, a young, angry selfish boy named Edmund Pevensie…

"This is not my idea," he added, having finished with Finnigan, "but if it comes to it, our family will take care of you. We can say you're an orphan. I know you don't trust us, but I'm not exactly the best example ever, and I must apologize for that…" He still didn't want to apologize for any particular action, and this time Peter saved him.

"Don't listen to him," Peter interrupted. "He's too humble. Will you? Please, for my sake. None of us want to see you treated like...you know how."

Alicia was torn. There was little hope of joy or survival in this present life, and yet this new possibility seemed so foreign and dangerous. And why were these people, people she had thought of as barbarians, the ones to offer her this new life? They were kind and actually cared about her as a person, unlike most of those she had known before, whose only respect seemed to be for her status. But…

She could not and would not take the leap. "I…I can't do it. I thank you, but it's…it's so strange. I'll take my chances here."

Peter bowed. "My lady, I hope you reconsider. I wish you all the best. Farewell." Edmund bowed as well and the two stepped out of the room.

Alicia didn't want the last moment to be like that. "Your majesty, she said hesitantly. "King Edmund, I mean," she added when both of them turned. "Why did you give me your dinner the other night?"

Surprised, Peter raised an eyebrow. This was news to him. Meanwhile, Edmund shifted awkwardly. After a few seconds, though, a smile returned to his face. "Well, if we win there'll be plenty of time to tell you, and if we lose we'll both be dead, so it doesn't make a difference, does it?"

But he bowed before clasping Peter by the shoulder. Peter bowed as well and the two brothers left arm-in-arm, leaving a very puzzled girl and a very angry dwarf.

**88888**

A plan had been forming in Alicia's mind, and now that she was more confused than ever she was set on it. It seemed that the only possibilities for her to remain alive would be for the Narnians to defeat her own people or to accept Peter's offer. And she could not see herself accepting either situation. Better Calmoren than this mental torment, she thought. Yes, fleeing to another country seemed to be the only acceptable option for her. Then she remembered how disgusted Finnigan had been about having to remain guarding her.

The sounds of battle were starting to filter into the How, and Finnigan was pacing angrily back and forth.

"How much do you want to go fight?" Alicia asked.

"I tell you, miss, that if the monarchs would tolerate it, I would kill you where you stand and go. But thanks to you, I'm stuck here. No chance of escape if we lose, no glory if we win. Lovely, eh?"

"You could say it's King Edmund's fault, "said Alicia, remembering what Lucy had said about the dwarves' devotion to the Just King.

"Don't speak of his majesty like that," said the dwarf grumpily.

"You respect him greatly, right?" The dwarf nodded at this. "You would much rather be protecting him? Then let me go. What danger would I, a woman, pose to you all? After all, I was being held here to keep me from telling my people about your plans, and I'm sure it wouldn't make a difference now."

The dwarf thought long and hard. Alicia had read him perfectly, and all it took was for him to take the plunge. "Hammers and hoists!" he finally exclaimed, for he was a mining dwarf. "Very well, Edmund will have my head if I survive your people but I suppose it's for the best."

**88888**

_Fun book-verse fact: Plate armour is never actually mentioned in Narnia. There are suits of armor, but they seem to have been chain mail as that was the state of development by "The Last Battle." Caspian, for example, is stated to have used dwarvish mail._

_Extra fact: Beaver hats went out of fashion before the American Civil War._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7- Seeing and Believing**

**88888**

Alicia was having second thoughts about having left the How. The entrance had collapsed seconds after she and Finnigan emerged. She caught a glimpse of Peter and Edmund and Susan and Caspian before they charged back towards the approaching Telmarine infantry. Most of the Telmarine cavalry was gone, she noticed. She then saw the gaping hole in the ground that the Narnians were charging around and the bodies of men and horses scattered around and in it. And in the ruined stone circle in front of the How, she saw Miraz's body and another headless corpse. Looking further, she saw the head, that of Lord Gregoire.

Alicia had never seen a battle before, and the sight made her sick for a moment. So much blood all around her…

She noticed that there was fighting going on inside the hole as well, where Trufflehunter and other Narnians were battling the trapped Telmarine cavalry. On the far side of the hole, Caspian and Trumpkin were now fighting back to back. Edmund's twin swords were reaping death in a circle around him. Susan was turning everywhere, shooting her red-tipped arrows or stabbing Telmarines who came too close with them before fitting them into her bow and releasing them. She saw Glenstorm fighting with his ridiculously large sword, and Reepicheep with his miniature one stabbing a Telmarine in the face as he tried to climb out of the hole. Most of the Telmarines were draftees with little training and experience, but the Narnians had even less. Even worse, the Narnians were all being surrounded. They were too few…

"Alicia!" cried Edmund when he caught sight of her. "Finnigan, I'm going to kill you!" But he was far too occupied to give more than a very angry glance at them

"The Telmarines don't need any help," the dwarf shot back as he stabbed a Telmarine.

There was a ground-shaking crash and she saw the giant Wimbleweather falling to his knees, with what was left of the Telmarine cavalry circling and stabbing him. There was death all around.

But there was nobody between Alicia and the woods behind the How. She started running, but then stopped in horror. The trees were moving toward her!

There was nothing left but to retreat, toward the battle. She looked around desperately for another path to safety, but there was only fighting all around. Edmund, Susan, and Finnigan were backed into a circle but holding their own. Reepicheep was nowhere to be seen. Glenstorm was charging one of the Telmarine infantry squares, followed by a few fauns and a satyr. The gallant fools, she thought, as they leaped over the wall of shields and crashed into the inside of the square. The thought that at least their weight would trap some Telmarines passed grimly through her mind. A sickening feeling filled her as she scanned the field for Caspian. There was no hope for her to escape; her thoughts now turned to her friend.

Then she saw him. Trumpkin was down on the ground, though not dead. Two Telmarine foot soldiers were double-teaming Caspian, driving him toward the edge of the hole. Too good to be draftees, she thought. Probably men-at-arms of one of the lords…

She gasped as Caspian fell over the edge. The two soldiers looked down and then headed for new targets. And she began running. Nobody paid her any attention, though an arrow whistled by her ear. Running to the edge, she saw Caspian lying on a patch of collapsed grass. He was not dead, but the wind had been knocked out of him. And his sword was lying several feet away.

It was a long jump down, but she had to do it. For her dear friend. And she was probably going to die anyway, so why did it matter? She took a deep breath and jumped. It was a hard landing, but she got to her feet and ran to Caspian. He was fumbling around his head for his sword, clearly disoriented. As she bent to help him up, he pointed. "Get away, Alicia!" he gasped. A Telmarine with a halberd was running toward them.

The halbard was suddenly lowered, and Alicia's eyes followed the handle to its wielder. "Lord Glozelle?" she heard Caspian say.

"Father?"

"Alicia?"

**88888**

Three people stared at each other in shock on a grassy piece of rubble. The sounds of battle all around them, inside and above the massive crater, were lost in that moment.

Caspian stared at the man who had tried to murder him in the castle, albeit on his uncle's orders, and who had just tried to kill him again. The experienced soldier could have easily dispatched him, effectively ending the rebellion. Was it for himself or for Alicia that he had been spared?

Alicia stared at her father. He had tricked her, he had used her as a pawn in his plots, and yet he had spared Caspian. She knew that he was ruthless enough to have no second thoughts about killing the prince. It had to have been her. Was there still a place in his heart for her?

Suddenly, a root shot out of the side of the crater and encircled Lord Glozelle. Alicia gasped as it flung him against the side of the depression and deposited him on the dirt bottom. The trees had arrived.

"Thank you," Caspian whispered. Alicia nodded, and they had no need to say anything. That would have to wait; they could now hear the Narnians cheering, but there was a battle to finish. Caspian ran to the edge of the hole where Peter was waiting to help him up; together, they led the Narnians in chasing after the retreating Telmarine army. The fighting had also died out in the crater as the remaining Telmarines scrambled wildly out by any way they could and Trufflehunter ordered the remaining Narnians to let them pass. Enough groans from dying men and creatures filled the crater already.

Two Telmarines, little specks in the field of so much death, were ignored. Alicia did not see any of this, though, as she cradled her father's head. He was bleeding from the side of the head, but otherwise looked fine. A slight shudder passed through him and he opened his eyes.

"Daughter? You're alive?"

All the frustration and grief of the past two days broke out. "You lied to me! You knew Caspian was alive! All you wanted was power, and all I mattered for was to help you gain it. I was a woman, so I wouldn't be suspected. I remember you telling me that. Is that all I was good for? Is that how much you cared for me?"

Glozelle sighed. Every word stung his heart, especially since he knew they were true. "Alicia, that is true and much worse. But these past two days, I realized I had always taken you for granted- you, and what you mean to me. You're my only child; I did what I thought would be best for you and our family. I see now I was wrong. Please forgive me and let us go back to how it was. We'll have nothing; we Telmarines have lost; I can only hope Caspian and the Narnians will be fair to us. Please don't let me lose my daughter as well."

"It'll never be the way it used to be," Alicia said, sighing. "Caspian will be fair, but our world is over. And frankly, I'm not entirely disappointed. We can start again, father, just not in the way you want."

Glozelle had not realized how his daughter had matured. But now he could no longer dictate his will to her as he could to his personal guard or the royal armyl. He was only a father, one who had forfeited the love he could have had. "I think we both need some quiet to think about this."

"Not yet. Can't you hear the shouting? There's still a battle going on, and you can stop it."

Glozelle nodded. The general and lord of Telmar on the inside was coming forward again. Followed by his daughter, he walked determinedly toward the Ford of Beruna.

**88888**

Lord Glozelle and Alicia arrived just in time to see the river, transformed into a raging man, sweep away Lord Sospesian and the remains of the bridge that had girded the river. The Narnians, seeing Alicia walking by her father, somewhat hesitantly allowed them to pass through their ranks to the Telmarines crowded together on the edge of the river. These were frightened, and Alicia did not blame them. On one side were strange creatures led by their supposedly kidnapped prince. On the other was a river that had swept away their leaders, with a lion and a little girl on the other bank. They kept looking back and forth, unsure what to do.

"Men!" shouted Glozelle, standing on a stump. "I see your shock, and I feel the same way you do. But I am guilty of deceiving you, men. I was ordered by Lord Miraz to kill the rightful king, who stands before you alive and well. Later, I also concealed the fact that he was alive for my own selfish purposes. But enough blood has been shed for a cause that has no meaning anymore. I beg you to lay down your weapons and cease this sad conflict. Let us bow in homage to our king, Caspian the Tenth, and the legendary Narnian monarchs of old!"

He was the first to do so, and most of the army quickly followed. For all his faults, Glozelle was loved by his men; it was common knowledge that he had helped three men, whom Miraz had unjustly ordered executed, to escape. His popularity, in fact, was the only reason he still had his head.

Trumpkin and some of the other Narnian leaders efficiently directed the disarmament of the Telmarine army while General Glozelle watched sadly. Alicia followed the monarchs as they forded the river to where Lucy and a Being that could only be Aslan waited.

Alicia had never been religious. The Telmarines did not subscribe to any one deity. Some worshiped the gods that their ancestors had brought from another land, strange gods with feathers and beads. Others venerated a more likable version of Tash. The Aslan that the Archenlanders and Narnians believed in was supposed to be a demon. Needless to say, none were very appealing to Alicia.

Yet, here He was, approaching in all His splendor and majesty and goodness. Alicia had always believed only in herself, but here was a visible manifestation of how wrong she had been.

The next few minutes passed as a blur. She saw the other five humans rise at His word; she heard a melancholic tune as Reepicheep was carried forward on a stretcher by his fellow mice; she even remembered laughing at his discomfiture about appearing without a tail before Aslan healed it. For all his pride, she was beginning to admire his character. But it was on the lion that she remained focused. If there was only one thing she could love, it would be Him.

"Rise, Lady Alicia the Faithful. See and believe," she heard Him say. "Let your heart be at rest with the knowledge of Me."

She looked around and hesitated. The lion was looking straight at her with those eyes she could never look deep enough into. "That's you!" she hear Lucy whisper.

"The Faithful?" she asked. She had betrayed her nation; now she had separated from her father. How was this possible?

"Leave the past behind you," she heard Him say. "In time, all will be revealed." Alicia suddenly felt content. This all-knowing being could not be wrong. "Now where is this dear little friend of yours?"

Alicia smiled with the others at Trumpkin's expression as he shuffled toward the lion he had doubted. The scowl was gone from his face, replaced by an almost childlike wonder. The mighty growl that Aslan unleashed on him was enough to make him want to sink into the ground. But like Alicia, he was convinced, and Lucy went out of her way to cheer him up afterward. She succeeded, as always.

"Come," Aslan said. "A new world awaits."

**88888**

_Fun book-verse fact: Caspian made Doctor Cornelius Lord Chancellor after the battle._

_I have to disagree with this, though. It would be one thing for the Telmarine lords to accept Narnian leaders like Glenstorm, whom they knew of as great warriors. It would be another thing to have one who had lived among them, and whom they knew to be a commoner, be elevated above all of them._

_I feel that the Telmarines aren't developed enough. After The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, besides the kings, they just seem to fade from Narnian history. Not one is mentioned as alive in the Last Battle besides Tirian. I want this story to show what I think could have happened to them._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8- Out of the Mud**

**88888**

It was a different Alicia who knelt in the mud before Aslan. Later, she would look back at that moment and remember it as one that changed her life forever.

Alicia had always believed in herself. She had been certain of her own judgments of others; she had been secure in all her attitudes; she could not be wrong. She sincerely tried to do what was right, but all too often her own convictions came first. This had been threatened by her experiences over the past couple days, and now it was completely swept away as she gazed into Aslan's eyes and all her own failings became visible in her eyes. He did not say a word more, but He did not have to. The old Alicia remained, with all her faults, but now it was a purified, tempered girl that emerged. She could not understand it, but finally she felt at peace.

She saw a hand in front of her and looked up to see Peter. "Come on," he said kindly. "No sense in staying there all day."

She looked around and realized several minutes must have passed. All the others were gone, on one duty or another around the battlefield.

"Your majesty," she said, getting up. "I…well, thank you for your offer earlier. I should have taken it."

"Think nothing of it," Peter chuckled. "I suppose it's rather pointless now. I must be off, but I can have someone escort you to Beruna if you want."

Alicia shook her head. "There's work to do here, isn't there? People like me who can nurse will be needed."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "You know, it's a pretty bloody scene. Not a place for a lady like yourself."

Alicia nodded. "It makes me feel sick," she admitted. "But I think it would make me feel worse to stand aside and do nothing for my people…well, I suppose that's both sides now. Does that seem strange to you?"

"No," said Peter firmly. He thought of what he himself was feeling. "I might not completely understand the first part of that, but it does hurt me to see my people dying. I suppose it comes with trying to be a good king. Well, fare ye well, Lady Alicia."

Alicia was amazed. Few Telmarine noblemen she knew had this attitude toward their men. Her respect for the Pevensies and especially Peter kept growing.

But such thoughts would have to wait. Too many groans and cries for help filled the fields.

**88888**

She encountered Edmund later that afternoon. He had just closed the eyes on a Telmarine soldier they had been too late to save, and was saying a quick prayer over him before he was carried away to one of the fresh graves being dug.

"So much death, all because of treachery and ambition," he said, not looking up. "It might be glorious while it lasts, leading a charge with banners flying high, but in the end it always comes to this."

Edmund sighed and stood up."I'm sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you with my thoughts. So Aslan's alright with you, I see."

"I…well, I suppose, your majesty, though I don't understand."

"You'll understand in time," said Edmund, allowing himself a slight smile. "It was hard for me when I first met Aslan. I'd…well, I'd made some terrible mistakes, and didn't understand how I could be forgiven. But He did forgive, and almost nobody thinks of it anymore."

"I know what happened with the Witch; Queen Lucy told me."

Edmund raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know she told you that much. But I suppose I was wrong to distrust you." More than anything else, he wanted to change the subject.

Alicia smiled. "To tell the truth, I was so hateful toward all of you and wanted to escape with a passion. You were right; I didn't have anything to escape to, but I still wanted to get out. Does that make sense?"

"No," said Edmund quite honestly, "I still don't understand. But I suppose I'm all right with you now, if Aslan is."

Alicia remembered why she had come to talk to Edmund in the first place. "You have to explain a lot to me, as well. Remember what you said? That if you won you'd have plenty of time to tell me? So what about that soup?"

Being a gentleman, it was not hard for Edmund to drop his suspicious attitude toward Alicia. But it was another thing to explain this. "I remembered being a prisoner, too," he finally said. "All I had was a hunk of dry, stale bread. I didn't want you to suffer the same way I did too. Ironic too, since you reminded me…oh, never mind." He was going to say Alicia had reminded him of the White Witch, but decided against it.

But Alicia had caught on. "You were going to say why you were so suspicious of me in the first place?"

Edmund nodded glumly. "Did anybody ever tell you you're too smart for your own good?" he asked, not maliciously, but matter-of-factly.

Alicia smiled at old memories and nodded. "I've been called smug, and I've realized over the past couple days that was true. What I do is observe others, and usually try to correct them. But I'm afraid that when I first met you I was trying to find things wrong with you, to prove to myself I was right in hating you."

"That's what made me so suspicious of you," said Edmund. "You see," he continued, "There's only been a few people I ever felt…digging inside of me like that. One was Aslan. Lor, looking into His eyes was something else. It was inexplicable."

"I just felt that, too. You don't have to try to explain."

Edmund smiled. "But I like trying. If there's one thing I can feast on thinking about, it's Aslan. I first saw Him when I was brought from the White Witch's camp. I was as miserable as can be, and imagine my fright when I realized He was real and so…royal and terrible and loving at the same time. But just looking into His eyes I knew I couldn't hide anything from Him."

"But that still doesn't explain it," remarked Alicia. "It sounds more of a compliment right now." The devotion that Edmund and Lucy had to Aslan never ceased to amaze her, once the blinds were removed from her eyes, but she was still insatiably curious about Edmund. She felt that her questions about his dual personality were about to be answered.

"There were also my mother, when I lied to her, and a few of the better foreign spies who made me feel that way," Edmund admitted. "That's what I connected you with. But I especially thought of her…" Edmund hated saying the name, and avoided it when he could. But Alicia wanted an answer. "The White Witch."

"By golly, not in that way!" he exclaimed as Alicia looked in puzzlement at him. "It's just that I still can remember the way she looked into at me, like she was boring into my soul, pulling out my faults and examining them and seeing what she could do with them. I was blind not to realize it at the time, and I've never forgotten it, though I try not to talk about it. When I see somebody looking at me like that, even Aslan…no, especially Aslan…I'm reminded. And I can do nothing but try to make sure others don't make the same mistakes I did."

Alicia had never felt so sorry for another human being in her life. Everything she herself had gone through paled in comparison to what she was now realizing what Edmund had to live with. Suddenly, everything about Edmund seemed to make sense, and she wanted to help him. "You can't carry those memories forever," she said slowly. "I'm sure they make you better, but it's eating you up."

Edmund smiled grimly. "Of course I must. It's my burden through life. Do I hate it? Yes. Do I realize it's necessary, for my own good? Yes. Is it my burden and not that of others? Yes."

"Your majesty," Alicia said, "you have no idea how comforting it was for me to talk to Queen Lucy about my own past. I can never change what's happened to me, but talking to another about it has made the memories so much easier. Those that knew me were right in calling me bitter, but I see now that it was because I held on to those memories and never let go, never talked to others about them…well, never truly had somebody to talk to about them, besides Caspian."

"It's not just memories; I bear a scar that's a daily reminder."

Alicia noticed the shiver that passed through Edmund at these words. "Do you ever show anybody?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No!" Edmund stood up and turned away. "Never, no. I've lived sixteen years with it. I should have moved on, but it's still there and reminds me of who I was, how I've failed…"

"Why don't you?" Alicia stood up as well and walked around Edmund to face him. To her surprise, he was holding back a sob. "Can't you see how keeping it in silence is eating you up? Come, show me."

Edmund looked at Alicia in amazement. Slowly, reluctantly, he lifted the edge of his tunic and pointed at the white scar. Alicia bent and touched the skin, being shocked by how icy it was. A cold shiver ran through Edmund and he quickly dropped the tunic.

"You know, you're the only one who's ever talked to me like that. Peter and Susan and Lucy and all the others tried not to remind me, and I was thankful for a while. But now…"

"Just let go," Alicia whispered. And Edmund did, as he saw on the ground and wept for the first time in a very long time. Alicia did not say anything; she was sure that a burden would have been lifted off Edmund when he rose.

But she was torn. Part of her wanted to remain and comfort Edmund, but she also knew there was other work to be done. Edmund seemed to sense this. "Go," he whispered. "Others need you. I'll be fine. And thank you."

Nodding, Alicia stood up and looked for others to tend to, in body or spirit. But she knew that she would never look upon a certain selfless Just King in the same way again.

She also thought of what Aslan had said. To her, being faithful meant fulfilling a mission. What mission could Aslan be speaking of? Could it mean being what she had imperfectly tried to do for so long, to be the voice guiding others into making a better world? If so, had all her life been only a preparation for this? From that day onwards, this became Alicia's driving goal, through all her life. But it was no longer for and even due to herself; it was a gift and mission for and from Aslan. This had just been the beginning.

**88888**

_Fun book-verse fact: Even an old friend like Tumnus addresses the Pevensies as "Your Majesties" and "King Edmund and Queen Lucy." (HHB)_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9-Beaversdam**

**88888**

The ride through Beruna and the fields and villages leading northwest to Beaversdam was a triumph. The people were out in force to see their new king and the strange creatures he brought with him. Though many were shocked and grumbled about a return to the good old days "without strange animals running around on two legs and pretending to talk," most were just happy that the war was over. There was grief in the houses that Glozelle and his officers had to stop at to tell of the death of a loved one, but there were many more that joy returned to as a draftee was dropped off. Glozelle had largely disbanded the royal army, leaving only the guards loyal to the different lords. Caspian noted with amusement how two of Glozelle's men, Rynelf and Rhince, were always trying to be of service to him. He recognized them, though they tried not to bring up the battle, especially anything having to do with the crater.

Alicia's mind rode far faster than the sedate pace of the march. Her world had been broken into pieces, and the experience with Aslan had ground it into powder.

She was finally starting to trust and love again. Though she had tried hard to deny the liking she had developed for the Old Narnians, especially the Pevensies, it had become harder and harder. And now she had seen their deity and knew that He was real, and that He was infinitely good. It was clear that they were in the right, and Alicia would be a hypocrite not to accept that. She wondered what her new life would be like, though. It would not be the same, she knew, but the future held so much uncertainty for her. Regardless of her feelings for him, she had always depended on her father for even sustenance. But the rift between them had been carved into a canyon, and she felt lost.

She was lonely. Her father was busy with the army, and Susan was chatting with Caspian the whole time. Peter and Edmund were busy making sure that the Narnians were disciplined as they marched through land that had been taken away from them and past people whom they considered oppressors. Lucy was in the rear with the wagons carrying those who had been injured but not badly enough for the cordial. Alas, there were too many for whom she had been too late and who were buried in fields near Beruna.

Finally, they reached the city of Beaversdam and the royal castle perched on a hill next to the town. They moved through the town cautiously; the people greeted them enthusiastically but a garrison remained in the castle under Lord Scythely, Miraz's father-in-law.

"It's all so different," sighed Lucy, who had ridden up to join the others. "All that used to be here was Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's cozy dam."

"Those walls look so cold," added Edmund, looking at the powerful walls that stared at them. "Lifeless unlike everything at Cair Paravel."

"That's not nice, Ed!" exclaimed Susan. "This is home for Caspian and Alicia!"

"I do admit I don't like it, and neither does Caspian."

"We should rebuild Cair Paravel," commented Peter.

"We don't even know if we're staying," responded Susan.

"Look," Caspian interrupted. "Lord Scythely approaches."

"Your majesty," the man in question, a grave man whose hair had faded into an autumn yellow, said bowing to Caspian, "we are at your service and beseech your benevolence."

"Thank you; you and your family have nothing to fear," said Caspian, while the others gave a silent sigh of relief.

Scythely's men were drawn up in parade formation in the courtyard and saluted as the monarchs passed. Most of them were professional soldiers, men who lived, trained, and worked in the castle. Caspian and Peter decided to allow them to remain. They realized that Narnia would still need an army, and integrating the two cultures into a new army would be a top priority.

**88888**

That afternoon was chaos as everybody tried to settle in. The royals had decided to dismiss many of the Narnians to lessen the sting for the Telmarines, but enough had to remain to make it clear that a new culture was being created. And they all had to be fed and housed, all while making sure Telmarine sensibilities were not offended. Susan had the nerve to suggest a ball, and that was promptly vetoed by all the other harried monarchs.

It was far from an enjoyable experience for Alicia, though. Many of the other women sneered on seeing her entering with the monarchs. Queen Prunaprismia had a particularly nasty remark about her honor.

"That is utterly false!" exclaimed Edmund, who was passing by and heard the remark. "I will have you know, _Lady Scytheley_, that the Lady Glozelle has behaved with the utmost honor, as befitting a true lady." Prunaprismia cringed at the reminder of her own treachery and walked away. But Alicia could feel the hatred coming from many of her own people through that whole day.

"You didn't have to do that," she told Edmund later. 'I suppose I deserved it, with the way I acted toward her before. And it must have seemed strange to them, seeing me come in with you all."

Edmund laughed. "Regardless, I couldn't allow your honor to be insulted like that! Be sure to tell me…one of us if something like that happens again."

"I wouldn't exactly call my conduct at the How befitting a lady," Alicia pointed out.

Edmund nodded. "But you did what you thought was right. And I think we've all forgotten, between Aslan's words and what you've done since. I owe you a great debt, by the way. One that might never be repaid."

**88888**

It was late when Alicia collapsed into bed. Her father was still busy, and she was happy for the chance to be alone. She did not want to have to face him yet.

But she felt a heavy load lifted off her. She had gone to Prunaprismia and apologized for all their previous arguments. That conversation had ended with the proud lady bursting into tears and Alicia comforting her. Beneath the arrogant lady who had disliked Caspian so much was the remains of a frightened little girl who had been thrust into an arranged marriage to a man who had never truly loved her. And Alicia had helped to bring that woman into the light again, and in the process healed deep wounds on both sides.

She turned over and remembered Caspian. She wondered how he felt, with all the responsibilities being thrust upon him. She was happy that he had four others who had been rulers for fifteen years to help him, but she was afraid that he would simply let them rule again. It seemed that he was a different person whenever they were around…less assertive, less sure of himself, less of a king. It was his task, she thought. She would have to have a long talk with him.

**88888**

She found him late the next morning seated by a fountain in one of the gardens inside the castle. From the bags underneath his eyes, she knew he had had a short night.

"Morning, cheerful," she said, spreading her skirts and sitting down next to him. She was dressed like a proper Telmarine lady again, as much as she hated it. It would not be politic to offend anybody at the moment.

"We have talked far too little, little sister," Caspian said, turning to Alicia and tousling her hair.

"It feels so good to be called that," she said, leaning against his shoulder. "I suppose Father won't stop me from training with you now. Once the coronation is out of the way."

"I would enjoy that very much, though I doubt even then I shall have time. I shall have a country to run."

"At least that's your problem, Caspian, not mine."

They laughed and leaned comfortably against each other. "Do you ever wish you had siblings like the Pevensies?" Caspian sighed, "all of whom shared your duties?"

Alicia sighed. It was ironic, she thought, that a few days before it had been Caspian lecturing her, and now the roles would have to be reversed. Ah well, the way of siblings…

"I think you should be one of my advisors," Caspian said when she had finished her discourse.

Alicia pulled back in mock horror. "Why, is little sister not good enough? I have to sit in council with those dusty old lords and gravely advise you on matters of state? Aslan, no!"

"I'm serious," Caspian said gravely. "I have never known a woman with such wisdom."

"You mean man or woman," Alicia shot back, punching Caspian gently on the arm.

"If I could take a photograph now, I'd title it, 'This Is How The Course of True Love Doth Runs Smooth,'" a voice said from an archway leading to an adjacent cloister. Edmund stepped through, his hair actually having been combed for once, though he sported the same dark bags under his eyes as Caspian.

"Photo-graph?" Caspian asked, puzzled.

"We don't love each other!" shot back Alicia, who caught on to the gist of what Edmund was saying even though she also had no idea what a photograph was. Some type of poetic device, perhaps. She hadn't realized Edmund was poetically inclined. "Well, we do, but as siblings."

Edmund walked over and sat down on the other side of Alicia. "I know, of course! Tumnus the faun and Lucy had a relationship like that in our Golden Age. Caspian, a photograph is-well, how do I describe it? We have devices called cameras that are about the size of a mailbox. It's mounted on legs to support it, but you can carry it around. These devices make photographs, which are like paintings but exactly like whatever you point it at. And the subject you want to make a photograph of doesn't have to stay there for hours, just a few seconds."

"Sounds like magic!" Alicia exclaimed.

"Well, it doesn't just appear. You have to take plates from the cameras and then soak them in different chemicals for several hours, but you end up with a photograph in the end. I have one, in fact." He reached into his pocket and pulled a faded picture out of his wallet. It was a simple one, of the four Pevensies seated at a train station dressed in their school uniforms, but to Caspian and Alicia it was far more lifelike than any paintings by Telmarine or even Calmorene artists.

"You should make some of these cameras and photographs for us," Caspian exclaimed.

"I don't think I'd be able to." Edmund put away the photo and leaned forward. "Besides, while it seems amazing to you, I always thought a good painting captured more of what a person really is. A photograph shows what the person chooses to display, but a good artist can see beyond that and depict what's down here, inside a person. I wouldn't trade that away for all the cameras on Earth."

"Do you paint?" asked Caspian.

"No," admitted Edmund. "But my mother did, and passed it on to Lucy. She did try to make us love it, though. We say we got level-headedness from our dad and a certain, um, sensitivity for beauty from our mom."

"I like the combination," Alicia said, smiling at Edmund. "I didn't realize you were a poet."

"A poet?" Edmund exclaimed. "Maybe one like my cousin Eustace…oh, you'd have to meet him to understand." But his mind was elsewhere. Had this girl been trying to flirt with him? He would later discover it had not been the case at all, but the seeds of a question had been planted.

He tried desperately to find a better comeback. Caspian was about to try to break the awkward silence when a messenger saved them all. "Your majesties!" he said breathlessly. "Lord Donnon and the Duke of Galma are marching on the city!"

**88888**

_Fun book-verse fact: Edmund supposedly doesn't know what an assonance is (VDT). But I thought it would be fun to introduce this other side I can see him having. There's a quote I'll put with Chapter 25 (beginning Part III) that will explain why._

_I can understand the human aspect the American film tried to bring to Miraz and Prunaprismia, but goodness, Sopespian comes across as more of a villain. Back to the books and the BBC version…_

_P.S. I'm American_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10- Enter the Lords**

**88888**

"Your majesties!" the messenger said breathlessly. "Lord Donnon and the Duke of Galma are marching on the city! They'll be here in five hours."

Caspian stood up. He also took in Peter walking quickly behind the messenger, buckling his sword Rhindon into his belt. "Do they mean to attack?"

"We don't know," Peter answered. "They number about five hundred, which shouldn't be too dangerous."

Edmund ran a hand through his hair. So much for combing it, Alicia thought. "We need to gather the army. Even if they do come peacefully, it would be a good idea to show that we mean business. It would hardly be a good start if the Telmarine lords feel they can control Caspian."

"I don't think they even know that Caspian's alive," Alicia said, standing up and joining the circle with the others. "I'd imagine they waited for a day when I didn't arrive, then decided to risk marching on the city. Any word of the battle would have come secondhand to them."

"And knowing them, especially Donnon, they'd want to find out for themselves."

"Very well then, I suppose we should go meet them then as soon as possible," Peter concluded.

"What do you suggest?" asked Edmund.

"We need General Glozelle…

"I'll tell Glenstorm…"

There was a slight pause, and then Caspian bowed in deference to Peter.

Peter nodded. "You're right; we need General Glozelle and the Telmarine guards so it doesn't look like a conquering army."

"I'll send for the general at once," said the messenger, glad to be free of the tension.

"Well, let's go get ready."

"You're staying here. It could be nasty."

"You saw how well that worked last time, Peter," remarked Edmund.

"Peter, I've known Alicia her whole life. She can handle herself, and in diplomacy too, if she wants to." This last phrase was accompanied with a slight nudge from Caspian.

"Sires, I think I can speak for myself? I'm going. It was because of me that they have no idea what is going on, and I should be the one to set it straight."

"We all feel the same way," exclaimed Peter, looking around at the other two.

"Then we're all agreed. What gate do we muster at?"

**88888**

The army was on the move within half an hour. This was the army of the future, Caspian reflected. Lord Glozelle and Lord Scythely rode at the head of their men, while Glenstorm, who had somehow survived his charge, and Reepicheep led the Narnians. There was still animosity on the part of some and icy distance on the part of others, but the tension was slowly being broken.

The five monarchs and Alicia were in the lead with Trumpkin and Glozelle. Aslan was not with them, for He had told Caspian that he must learn to lead on his own. Caspian noted the confident air the Pevensies exuded, as if riding to meet a hostile army was the most normal thing ever, and felt intimidated and outclassed. But it was a lofty standard he was being held up to, and he wanted badly to be a good leader like them. Despite Alicia's advice, he wanted to be able to lean on them…and there was also Susan. But there were other pressing matters at hand.

He pulled Destrier beside Lord Glozelle, determined to have a talk the older man seemed to be avoiding.

"You spared me, back at the pit. Why?"

"I couldn't kill an unarmed man, I suppose."

"Why?" Caspian knew from personal experience that this was a lie.

Glozelle sighed. "I suppose there's no excuse not to tell you. My daughter is the only thing I had left. I saw she was willing to die for you and I couldn't take you away from her. I couldn't live with that."

"You say you have nothing else. It is true I view her like a sister, but she isn't all you have! I need help building a new Narnia, Glozelle. I need men like you. The army, for example. It would be different, but I know how much you enjoy working with your soldiers."

"The new Narnia you speak of is exactly why I must decline, your majesty. I have lived in Telmar my entire life. This future is not for me. With your permission, I would like to retire to my estates in the country once the army is dispersed."

Caspian bowed, knowing that it would be impossible to change the lord's mind. "As you wish, my lord. I thank you for all you have done for Telmar."

"The banners of Lord Donnon and the Duke of Galma!" a Telmarine officer cried.

Sure enough, approaching across the open countryside over the crest of a hill was a long column of men with cavalry to the front and flanks.

"Halt here," Caspian ordered. "Reepicheep, Scythely, deploy the troops. My lords, my ladies, follow me."

The Pevensies, Alicia, Glozelle, Trumpkin, Glenstorm, and a few other Narnian and Telmarine officers followed Caspian as he rode slowly toward the other banners. Behind them, the army, about a thousand strong, separated into alternating Narnian and Telmarine battalions.

After a few tense seconds, the other column halted and a similar group rode forward, Lord Donnon and the Duke of Galma in the lead.

Lord Donnon would have seemed like any other rigid Telmarine noble if it was not for his impressive frame. He seemed almost to be a metal giant as he rode forward proudly, his keen thirty-seven year old eyes sweeping those before him before they rested and stayed on Caspian.

The Pevensies remembered how Trumpkin had described him: "a pompous old fool who has charge of a little castle which is Miraz's last stronghold towards the coast." But truth be said, Trumpkin had been rather agitated when he said that. Donnon was certainly proud, but he had good reason. He commanded the largest army in Narnia after that of the King himself, and Glasswater, though in a quiet part of New Telmar, was a splendid castle in an excellent location. He was one of the few who Miraz thought twice about before crossing.

The Duke of Galma was really lord of the house of Bellépoque, but he never allowed himself to be called that. He was a ruddy man whose paunch had grown slightly every one of his thirty married years. His house was always open to strangers, who were few and far between considering that he lived on an island. Undeterred, he would ride to all the local taverns and many of the houses of his people, to the dismay of his courtiers and guards, and bestow his company on others. The Duke, or Galma as he was usually simply called, was loved as much as Donnon was feared. It was a strange duo, but they would get along splendidly when they met. Donnon would sip his wine while Galma told all the stories that travelled around his island, supplemented by a few beers. Donnon would then give Galma advice on how to run his dominion for the next half year.

Donnon observed Caspian and the Narnians interspersed with the Telmarines. He was no fool; the ruins of Cair Paravel were on his lands, though he and the other Telmarines stayed away. He saw a new order was rising, and he wanted to make sure he was part of it. He got off his horse and knelt before Caspian. "Your majesty," he said. "We have heard much concerning you, and maybe you can separate the truth from the fancy."

Galma was a little slower. "But…but you're supposed to be dead! Is Miraz dead then?"

Lucy smiled at his lack of subtlety. "It's a long story, my lords. Maybe we can dismount and all will be explained?"

Galma gladly got off his horse. "Of course, my dear. Who are you?"

"I am Queen Lucy, one of the four ancient rulers of Narnia. These are my siblings, Peter, Susan, and Edmund." The ancient rulers in question bowed in turn.

"Ancient, as in from thirteen hundred years ago?" asked Galma, scratching his balding head.

"They're obviously not that old," whispered Donnon to his friend.

"It's a long story," said Peter, taking charge. "It began with a wardrobe…"

Peter and Lucy told their story, with Edmund and Susan adding an occasional comment. But Alicia could see that what the lords were really interested in was seeing what the new order would mean for them.

"Caspian will be king now," she interjected when the Pevensies had finished describing the battle at Aslan's How. "He will need your help in rebuilding our land."

The Duke noticed her for the first time. "Why didn't you-well, never mind." Lord Donnon had given a discreet cough.

Alicia smiled and returned the discretion. She could see there was no sense in publicly humiliating the powerful lords by revealing their treachery. "I was on my way to visit your lordships when I had an accident and I was found by some of the Old Narnians. They treated me with nothing but respect and I assure you that there is nothing to fear from them. His majesty has granted a general amnesty to those who fought against him."

The two lords nodded. Alicia's few words had told them both that Caspian knew of their plot and that they were forgiven, though they would have to tread carefully.

Caspian, who had been rather left out of the conversation, took advantage, as Alicia had hoped, to start explaining his vision of a new Narnia. The afternoon passed quickly, as the monarchs and lords moved to the shade of a few great oaks and the two armies stood down. To the delight of their commanders, the men began mixing and comparing tactics. Some were even becoming fast friends.

To Alicia's surprise, she was a valuable asset in the negotiations. Though she spoke little, her understanding of the others' psychologies enabled her to guide the conversation to answer questions one or another had or to diffuse awkward situations. It was a game with high stakes, and Alicia was tilting the odds for Caspian and the others.

**88888**

All too soon, it was becoming dark enough that all were reminded of how hungry they were. Caspian affably invited the lords to stay in Beaversdam for the coronation, and the lords accepted. Truth be told, all were glad that what could have been a dangerous political situation was avoided.

When they were riding back to Beaversdam that evening, Peter caught up to Alicia. "That was splendid," he said. "But why are you doing this for us?"

Alicia had to think for a moment. She really didn't know. "I actually don't enjoy it. I can't give you an answer and say 'this is why,'" she said finally. "Maybe it's because, after meeting Aslan, I can see I was wrong not to trust you. I want the best for you all, and that is one way I could help, by trying to smooth what was partly my own fault. And then there was what Aslan said about being the faithful one. I think..."

Alicia remembered how many times she had been wrong in the past week. She did not dare ask Aslan Himself what He meant by His words. But perhaps His chosen rulers would understand. "What do you think He meant in calling me the faithful one?" she asked.

"Well, you have what some might call stubbornness," remarked Peter. "Oh, I don't see it as that," he added quickly as Alicia looked down, now ashamed. "I see it as determination, wanting to fulfill a mission. When you were carrying that message, you wanted to deliver it even though you hated it, didn't you?"

"Well, until I found out about my father's treachery," affirmed Alicia.

"Well, that's faithfulness to me. And perhaps your mission is to do what you did today- to help Caspian when we're gone."

"When you're gone? What do you mean?" asked Alicia, startled.

"Well, we doubt Aslan will allow us to stay. It was different our first time, because there was nobody to take the throne when we defeated the White Witch until. But Caspian is here, and we're not needed like last time. As much as we'd love to spend the rest of our lives here, it's not in our hands. It's in Aslan's…well, His paws."

As much as she realized it would be better for Caspian to rule without the Pevensies, Alicia could not help feeling a little sorry for herself. These people she now admired and whose company she actually enjoyed would be leaving, a pittance of time after she had met them. If they had stayed, maybe they could have been a new family for her…

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "But thank you for what you said about my mission…that makes it so much clearer."

"It is a pleasure, my lady."

"If I may, your majesty, I have a question for you as well. Why have you been so caring for me, somebody you barely know and whom you had every reason to mistrust?"

There was no hesitation in Peter's voice as he responded. He must have thought about this very question, Alicia realized, even though the answer surprised her. "I like you, Lady Glozelle. Maybe I ought to have seen you like Edmund did...or still does; I don't know. But I didn't; when we first met, I saw you as somebody who couldn't understand what was happening and needed help. I can understand, because there were many things I didn't and still don't understand; for example, I still don't entirely understand why Aslan took us away from Narnia, from my people..." Peter's voice trailed off, and it was clear how much this topic affected him. "But back to you. You're different, Lady Glozelle. You're intelligent, and not afraid to speak your mind. And you've been looking to the future, which I respect greatly. You'll be an excellent advisor to Caspian, and when we return to our world having met you will have been one of the best things that happened to me here. At any rate, as a knight, I am honor-bound to at least respect you."

"I'm afraid we don't have the same ideas of knighthood as you do in your world," said Alicia, though there was far more she wanted to say but couldn't. For now, she just listened.

"Unfortunately, it's been lost in our world too," admitted Peter. "I try to imagine what it would be like there if it still existed, but Edmund's right- it once was, but no more. Now too many of our people think of it as just rescuing damsels in distress or being a great warrior. It's really about serving others- those above you, and those in your protection. You probably wondered how I am able to stand all the death that comes with fighting. It's because I know it's all done for Aslan, and my men who died didn't die for me; they died for Aslan. But it's hard to continue believing in it when it never seems to pay off. Maybe our people are right when they say chivalry's outdated…." His voice trailed off as he retreated into his own thoughts.

In years to come Peter would look back at that day and see it as the apogee of his stay in Narnia. Not since the Golden Age had this vision of the chivalry that had earned him the title of "magnificent" shone so brightly for him. But even now clouds of pride and self-servitude and self-pity were trying to close back in upon him, as they always sought to.

For Alicia, this was another learning moment. As much as she was learning from Peter's introspection, it was worrying her. It seemed that Peter was two different people…one a perfect gentleman, every inch the "magnificent," and another, far darker personality.

But it was what Peter had said earlier that remained with Alicia. It was ideal that would fade for him, but Alicia would always be there, to try to keep that vision alive for him. And she did it for herself as well, for it was this brighter, idealistic Peter that she was beginning to wish could remain.

**88888**

_Fun book-verse fact: Trumpkin actually arrived at the How with Caspian. He was sent to the ruins of Cair Paravel to see if the horn had called the Pevensies there and was captured on the way._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11- Choices of a Life**

**88888**

People from all across Narnia were gathered in Beaversdam for the coronation. Aslan had said that He wanted to talk to all the people as well, and that filled them with curiosity. A long line of Narnians and Telmarines passed by His tent outside the city to see Him for the first time.

It had been a week since Caspian and the Pevensies entered in triumph. The whole city and castle were decorated with flowers and garland and seemed to lose much of their foreboding aspect. There were tents for miles around, as more and more Narnians emerged from hiding and struggled to cooperate with their Telmarine counterparts, who travelled from Beruna in the center of the country and Glasswater in the east and all the little villages and farms dotting the countryside in between.

Caspian was certainly proud of his people as he stood on a balcony overlooking the city and surrounding fields and woods. This first week had all been about establishing trust between Narnians and Telmarines. There was still friction, but the plan Aslan had revealed to him that morning would eliminate most of the malcontents. Once this happened, then the real work of running a country would begin. Caspian had a grand vision of what he wanted to do. He would miss them, of course, especially Susan. He had seen the strength and intelligence inside the Gentle Queen beneath the manners she had adopted in England and reflected that she would be the perfect person to help him rule. But he had a face turned to the future. Alicia was right; he would have to learn to rule without them, and not try to judge himself in comparison to them.

**88888**

Peter wiped the sweat off his brow. He and his siblings had been everywhere trying to settle land disputes and find new habitations for the Narnians, who needed permanent places to live now that they no longer were in hiding. Part of the problem would be solved by new construction. He and Susan had helped to plan a new suburb of Beaversdam and he was now directing the construction. Both Narnians and Telmarines were working on it; they would not be allowed to have separate neighborhoods. In fact, Peter was beginning to hate the word Telmarine. This was Narnia; they had slapped the name of a distant country on the land he had once ruled. Peter knew that he and his siblings most likely would be leaving the next day after the coronation, but he was determined to leave an imprint in this land…his land. And that of his siblings. He thought of Edmund and Lucy, working to resettle families in the country that had been broken by the war. They were probably having fun, he thought as he picked up a roll of blueprints.

**88888**

Susan walked through the halls of the castle and saw Alicia, who was directing the preparations for the coronation. "He's on the balcony," the younger girl said, smiling as she picked up a vase of flowers.

"Thanks, it's been a very long day and it'll be great to finally talk to him alone," Susan said thoughtlessly, then wheeled around. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"You're obviously in love, you know," Alicia said, smiling and allowing herself to sit down for the first time in hours. "He'll miss you greatly when you're gone."

Susan set her jaw. "If Aslan tells us to go, I will. But I love him; and if I can stay with him I will, no matter what."

**88888**

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians just as it does to any man." Caspian's voice rang clearly across the fields. The crown on his forehead sparked in the afternoon sun. "Any Telmarine who wants to stay and live in peace is welcome to. And for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."

"We don't remember Telmar. We don't know where it is. We don't know what it is like," grumbled some of the Telmarines.

"You came into Narnia out of Telmar," said Aslan. "But you came into Telmar from another place. You do not belong to this world at all. You came hither, many generations ago, out of that same world to which the High King Peter belongs."

At this, some of the Telmarines began whimpering, "There you are. Told you so. He's going to kill us all, send us right out of the world," and others began throwing out their chests and slapping one another on the back and whispering, "There you are. Might have guessed we didn't belong to this place with all its queer, nasty, unnatural creatures. We're of royal blood, you see."

"Peace," said Aslan in the low voice which was nearest to his growl. The earth seemed to shake a little and every living thing in the grove became still as stone.

"You, Caspian," said Aslan, "might have known that you could be no true King of Narnia unless, like the Kings of old, you were a son of Adam. And so you are. Many years ago in that world, in a deep sea of that world which is called the South Sea, a shipload of pirates were driven by storm onto an island. And there they did as pirates would: killed the natives and took the native women for wives. Often they quarreled, and sometimes killed one another. And in one of these frays six were put to flight by the rest and fled with their women into the center of the island and up a mountain, and went, as they thought, into a cave to hide. But it was one of the magical places of that world, one of the chinks or chasms between that world and this. And so they fell, and found themselves in this world, in the Land of Telmar which was then unpeopled. And in Telmar their descendants lived and became a fierce and proud people; and after many generations there was a famine in Telmar and they invaded Narnia, and conquered it and ruled it. Do you mark all this well, King Caspian?"

"I do indeed, Sir," said Caspian. "I was wishing that I came of a more honorable lineage."

"You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve," said Aslan. "And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content."

Caspian bowed, but he felt more insecure than ever.

Two of the Pevensies thought of Alicia and how she had never experienced some of the emotions that seemed so natural to them. Knowing how low her ancestors had sunk made them feel even more compassion for her, and in that moment they felt all the suffering she had gone through and wished that they could alleviate that suffering as she had done that of others.

"And now," said Aslan, "men and women of Telmar, will you go back to that island from which your fathers first came? It is no bad place. The race of those pirates who first found it has died out, and it is without inhabitants. There are good wells of fresh water, and fruitful soil, and timber for building, and fish in the lagoons; and the other men of that world have not yet discovered it. The chasm is open for your return; but this I must warn you, once you have gone through, it will close behind you forever. There will be no more commerce between the worlds by that door."

There was silence for a moment, then a gasp as Lord Scythely and his daughter Prunaprismia, with her infant son, stepped forward. "We shall go," Prunaprismia said, bowing to Caspian.

Caspian was certainly puzzled, though he was regal enough to contain his expression, and Susan and Lucy exchanged a discreet glance. Only Alicia, and Edmund who had found out, knew what had happened. The earlier humiliation and talk with Alicia had changed the once proud lady. Fate has many twists and turns that we do not expect, and as they had discovered, a few well-placed words or a simple action could change a life.

Peter also advanced to face Aslan. "Is this it for us then?" he asked quietly, his head bent.

"I will give you a choice," Aslan said. "Choose wisely."

There was a deadly silence at these words. Nobody had expected that Aslan would give them a chance, any more than He had at the end of the Golden Age.

"Aslan, we can stay?" Lucy finally spoke.

"But what would happen if we did or didn't?" Susan asked.

"What do _you _want us to do?" put in Edmund.

"That is for you to discover. All I will say is that either way you will be tested. The burden will be great either way-on Earth you will discover how hard it is to believe in Me; here you will be monarchs and every action that you take will have far greater consequences. You must decide; I will not force your decision."

Peter looked at Susan and Susan at Edmund and Edmund at Lucy and Lucy at Peter. They all looked at each other. An unspoken word passed through them. Was this not what they had desired so greatly in the long year they had spent away from Narnia?

"We'll stay," Peter spoke for them.

A cheer rose from the front of the crowd, spreading to the back as people desperately asked their neighbors what had happened. Aslan silenced them with a raised paw and then turned again to the Pevensies.

"Then I will leave you with these words. You have choices before you. Be content with what is given to you and you shall be at peace."

The Pevensies were clapping each other on the back and laughing. But Alicia's attention was fixed on another Telmarine who stepped forward. It was her father.

"You and Caspian told me I should try to help create a new world," he said. "You were right; I just cannot do it in this land, so full of memories and heartbreak. Will you come with me?"

Dozens of thoughts ran through Alicia's mind. Her father, the old Telmar, everything she had hated and despised suddenly seemed so dear. She didn't want to let go.

But she realized that Telmar had never really been home for her. She thought of Caspian, and of how pleasant and genuine the Pevensies had been, and of the welcome her own people had given her. Suddenly, she knew that her real family was staying here in Narnia.

"I'm sorry." She stepped forward and embraced her father, for the first time in many years and for what she knew would be the last. Her place was here in shaping the new Narnia, and their paths could not intersect.

Glozelle understood. Never had he more deeply regretted the lost years of fatherhood, but it was too late. "Do honor to your name," he whispered as he let Alicia go. He then turned and bowed to Caspian. "I hope you will forgive me," he said simply.

The new king bowed back. No words had to be said. Glozelle and Scythely and Prunaprismia had no future in Narnia, and Caspian knew they were making the right decision.

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world will be good," Aslan said, to the delight of Alicia and the others.

Glozelle took one last look at his daughter and walked through, followed by the others.

Alicia did not see the long line of Telmarines who walked through the portal. Her thoughts were elsewhere. She had forgiven her father, and though she knew they would separate she had not thought it would be in this way. But not one to weep, she drew herself up as the last of the departing Telmarines walked through. There were far more remaining than she had expected. There was a future, she recalled. It was fitting that the sun was setting on both this day and her previous life which had ended with the passing of her father.

"Did we make the right choice?" Lucy asked Aslan worriedly. "I love Narnia and want so much to stay but is it what you wanted?"

"Lu…" Peter sighed.

"Be at peace, son of Adam. She does well by wanting to know My will. But though I can change history, it is for the best that you shape it. I give you the means to make the right choice and you must make the most of them."

He turned to walk away from the platform. The crowd parted to let Him pass, bowing and noting the grave expression on His face as He walked into the fast-darkening east. Night was falling.

**88888**

_Sorry for spelling honour as honor in the part taken from the book. But as much as I would love to, I can't and won't pretend that I know Britannic English, and I'd prefer to be consistent._

_Fun book-verse fact: The portal was actually three pieces of wood that had been bound together_

_Well, I think that wraps up the book-verse facts, though there will be many things here and there that I slip into the story._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12- Six Views and a Speech**

**88888**

"Then I will leave you with these words. You have choices before you. Be content with what is given to you and you shall be at peace."

Peter couldn't believe it. They had been given the chance to stay! Of course he was content with that. The past year, he had found it impossible to adjust to not being High King. He had gotten in trouble with teachers, with authorities, even his own mother, anybody who suddenly outranked him and reminded him that he had stepped back into the body of an eighteen-year old.

He was nineteen now. An opportunity to build a new Narnia lay before him. Was this what Aslan meant? To be content with this opportunity? He was still haunted by the fact that they had been taken away from Narnia before. Had they done something wrong? He thought about the years they had spent in Narnia and recalled that they had simply tried to restore the way things had been before the White Witch came. In fact, he had never cared much for the internal workings of Narnia. That was his siblings' job, though he did his part in running the country. He had longed more for a life of lords and danger and glorious charges. He caught what Lord Glozelle said about building the future and suddenly Peter felt he had a mission again. He would build a new Narnia. One far more glorious than the old Narnia, one so perfect that Aslan would have second thoughts about sending them back.

**88888**

Susan was stunned for a moment. Of all the siblings, coming back to Narnia had been the hardest for her. She had almost cried upon coming back to Cair Paravel and seeing the world in which she had become a woman in ruins. But from then on, she had steeled herself into accepting that they might have to leave again. She still believed in and loved Narnia and Aslan, but as the ever-logical one in the family she knew they couldn't will themselves back. But then she had fallen for a certain prince. Well, he was a king now. She would have to remember that.

She was sure that if she went back to Earth, she would have been broken. For the most part, she had despised her suitors in the Golden Age. But the way she felt about Caspian-soft spoken, but with the makings of a great ruler, which broke through sometimes- was a first for her. She had tried unsuccessfully to keep herself from falling for him, and Alicia's reminder the day before that their time was limited had torn her. She knew deep within that the girl was right and she should accept the separation, but she couldn't. For once, her logic was very far away. And now Aslan, bless His great heart, was giving her the opportunity to be with him. With Caspian. They could have a life together. Susan was very content.

**88888**

Edmund wasn't sure what to think. He would spend his whole life with the scars of having been a traitor in this land. Alicia had helped him move on with the guilt that he laid on himself, but this land still reminded him of his treason. Seeing Nausus and learning that he was a descendant of the same Tumnus who had been turned into stone partly as a result of his desire for sweets brought back old pains. So did even riding into the icy northern lands. It had always been Peter who dealt with the giants, because seeing the ice brought Edmund too much heartbreak. He loved his land, he loved his people, but he also loved Britain and the English soil. He thought about how he had borrowed his aunt's identity card and tried to enlist underage before coming here. He smiled at the thought of the expression on Lucy's face as she dragged "Albert A. Scrubb" away from the line. He almost even missed his know-it-all cousin Eustace.

If it had been up to him, he would have decided to go back to England. Caspian had the throne and would be a good ruler. Probably not great, but a good one. Edmund did not think yet of the fact that he would now be below Peter, Susan _and_ Caspian in the royal pecking order. He had put the rest of his family first. He saw the longing in all of their eyes to remain here, and he would not make them suffer because of him again. Maybe Peter was right and they were there to lead Narnia into a new Golden Age. But at any rate, he would have his family and they would, pray Aslan, never be separated. He was content.

**88888**

Lucy should have been very content. She had been the one to discover Narnia; she had been the one to never lose hope in it or Aslan in their darkest hours, both times around. She had even spent almost exactly half her life here. But she could not shake the sad expression on Aslan's face as He walked away, an expression that her jubilant siblings had not noticed. She pondered every one of His words, trying to decipher their meaning. Had they been wrong in choosing to stay?

It could not have been simply the fact that they had chosen to stay, she thought. Aslan had created this land, after all. Surely He could not object to them loving it so much that they would want to stay and even die in this land? And Aslan had spoken of them facing temptation whether they stayed or returned. Very well, then. Lucy steeled her face. The baby fat was nearly gone; it was the face of a warrior that was emerging again. She would not fail Aslan; she would strive to keep Narnia pure and peaceful. Just like before.

**88888**

Caspian was very happy. All the advice that Alicia had given him about ruling by himself was forgotten. Of course he would still be King as Aslan had dictated, but the burden of ruling suddenly seemed so much lighter. And he would have Susan. He shared a smile with her and she began to walk over.

All his life, he had been taught how serious a matter kingship was. His father had given him many lessons on the duties that came with being king. Then Miraz had taken over and, until learning he had a possible heir, had continued the lessons. Still, he had felt overwhelmed with leading, first a resistance movement, and then a kingdom. But now he would not be alone. Definitely not alone, he thought as Susan approached.

"I'm glad you could stay," he said huskily.

"You know, this shouldn't work, the two of us."

"What do you mean?"

"I am thirteen hundred years older than you."

Caspian was nonplussed. Did she really return his feelings, or had it just been a temporary attraction? Then suddenly she pulled his head forward and leaned in for a kiss. The crowd gasped and there were a few cheers and plenty of whispering, but they didn't care. That moment was so romantic, so perfect. They were content.

**88888**

The Pensevies were not as far away from Alicia's thoughts as she was from theirs. But her thoughts were mainly on Caspian. Please, be a good ruler, she prayed. Don't use this as an excuse not to rule.

She did not know what to think about the Pevensies remaining. She had become very close to all of them and a part of her was glad that she could still be with them, especially Peter, but another part screamed how difficult they would make things for Caspian, again especially Peter. Oh well, she would try to help them make the right choices. She would be the voice in the background urging them towards what was right for themselves and their people.

"One of you should talk to the people," she said looking at Caspian.

Caspian and Peter looked at each other and Caspian bowed. It was Peter who stepped forward to the front of the platform, looking every inch a High King as he faced his people with words he had wanted to say for so long.

"My people!" his voice rang across the fields. "We came here today, Narnians, Telmarines, and visitors from Earth, or War Drobe as some of you remember. This month, we all have lost much. Many of our loved ones lie dead in Beruna or have gone to a new life in our world. But the bodies of our heroes lie together, in peace at last. We can do as Lord Glozelle and the others have done and start anew. The sun sets on the world we have known. Let it rise again on a new land! One with no more Old and New Narnians, Telmarines and Animals, but simply on Narnians! Proud Narnians stepping together into the future! My siblings and I have decided to stay with King Caspian to help lead you into that future. Let it be a bright future! Let the sun shine on a new, renewed, glorious land and people! For Narnia!"

They stood proudly as the cheers rang out all around the field even as the last rays of the sun disappeared. "Narnia! Narnia! Narnia!"

**88888**

_**End of Part I of "The New World", Being "A World Broken"**_

_Well, you've read up to here, so how about a review/ fave/ follow? These would be greatly appreciated so I know how I'm doing! Constructive criticism welcome as well._


	13. Chapter 13 with note

**88888**

_Just a few housekeeping notes, with the chapter below._

_-I am so sorry for not updating, but life and sickness finally caught up with me. More importantly, though, I've rewritten and updated the first twelve chapters. There's quite a few changes- a lot more character development in Alicia and some of the other characters, plot changes, and a lot more emphasis on the book. Frankly, I wasn't very happy with my original chapters, and I consider these much better. Please read them and let me know what you think of the changes. If you don't like them, I can send you the old version and you can believe nothing happened, as Part II flows from either version._

_-Many thanks to EscapismReigns for the suggestions on how to improve this story and to Maddie Rose for the beta'ing._

_-I wrote a one-shot set in the Last Battle._

_-I've put together a couple trailers for this story. The links are on my profile._

_-This story will be divided into five parts. The first three will focus on Alicia, Peter, and Edmund respectively. I'm also starting each part with a quote that will serve as its theme._

_-Just got to get in my bragging rights- first story with the Duke of Galma tag._

_-If you haven't, check out the BBC version of the Silver Chair (it's on Youtube)! My humble opinion is that if they had the same technology that we have today and if their versions of the first three books were as good (they weren't, especially the casting) they would be the definitive Narnia movies. Nothing, including our American versions, would ever come close to them. All the same, I'm very curious now to see what Hollywood does with the Silver Chair. _

_-To Kyle, if you read this: thanks for your feedback, but I'd say it's a bit premature to consider this an attack on capitalism. Just a reminder that the Industrial Revolution helped give rise to both capitalism and socialism. As a matter of fact, I try to make it ambiguous which system is implemented in Narnia. The point isn't to discuss either; as I say in the new introduction, this is a story of people and the effects of their actions, not a question of ideologies. _

_-And as an apology for the long wait, a preview of Chapter 44. I haven't written all the way there but it was one of the first pieces I wrote, as a kind of landmark I'm headed towards. And of course I can't give too much away, so all the names are blanked, though one of them should be pretty obvious.(Hopefully not all of them)_

"You know you've been declared a traitor to the crown, with a price on your head," said a voice behind (1).

(1) noticed that the tavern had gone completely quiet; even the constant chatter that came from the inquisitive bartender was gone. (1) turned around to face (2). "I expected that. I suppose you've come to bring us in?"

(2) sighed and eased himself into the seat opposite (1). "I took the liberty of getting a beer before I shooed everybody out. I hope you don't mind my taking a couple moments with it. The beer is nowhere as good in (place x); it's too humid for good barley. And unlike (3), I can't stand wine. Ah…this is magnificent."

"Well, are you going to arrest me or not?"

(2) smacked his lips. "Why would I?"

**88888**

_**Part II of "The New World", Being "A World Rebuilt"**_

_**~Peter~**_

"Do you ever stop and ask, 'Is it all going to happen again?'  
>Do you remember that hour of din before the attack-<br>And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then  
>As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men?<br>….

Have you forgotten yet?...  
>Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you'll never forget."<p>

"_Aftermath", by Siegfried Sassoon_

**Chapter 13- A New Dawn Is Rising**

**88888**

The bright rays of the rising sun shining through her window awakened Alicia. It was hard to process everything that had happened the day before-her father leaving, the Pevensies staying, her now being head of the house of Glozelle…

The Telmarines tolerated women being at the head of a noble family when there were no male heirs, but the expectation was that the said lady would speedily marry into another family. And this was something that Alicia certainly did not feel ready for, any more than being the head of a household. Trusting more than a handful of people was a new experience for her, and love would take far longer to be even considered. Thankfully, most of the common Telmarines who remained were a decent lot. She was surprised that some like Donnon and Galma and Alba had stayed, but perhaps they had truly changed. She certainly hoped so, for the sake of the kings and queens.

Well, there would be no more Telmar and Telmarines, just Narnians, at least according to Peter. She had been impressed by his speech and the enthusiasm he had roused in both the Old and New Narnians. But she had a sinking feeling that it should have been Caspian giving it. He was King now and should be the person the people saw as their leader. She knew that Caspian would not have presented his ideas as well as Peter, but it would have encompassed the same ideas, a vision of a united Narnia. She feared that the throne that he had fought for was in danger, not of being taken away, but of being reduced to just that: a throne.

Alicia had to admit she liked Peter. She could see his faults better than anybody except his siblings- his pride, his stubbornness, his ambition- but she also saw the true gentleman that he was beneath that mask. He had gone out of his way to ensure that she was comfortably received by the Narnians, and she would always be grateful for that. She especially remembered the mirror of chivalry who occasionally appeared, if only for a few minutes.

"My lady, his majesty requests your presence at breakfast in the castle," a maid said, opening the door and bowing.

"Thank you, but which his majesty?" Alicia asked, trying to be as gentle as possible to the frightened servant. "There are three now, remember."

"King Caspian," stuttered the poor girl. "I hope you forgive me, my lady."

"Of course, Helaine, and please call me Alicia. Would you like to help me dress?"

"Yes, my lady…Alicia."

Alicia was reminded again of the way the Telmarines looked down on women and servants. Another thing that Caspian and the Pevensies would have to address, she thought. She picked a formal dress and sat down for the torture of having her hair braided. She was sure that Caspian would want to meet with many of the lords, maybe even the council, and it would not do to hurt their sensibilities.

**88888**

"You look splendid," Caspian said, standing with Peter and Edmund when she entered the dining room, really a small sitting room in one of the towers. Sunlight filtered in through a small window on each side. This had to be one of the brightest rooms in the royal quarters, Alicia thought. The builders had incorporated so few windows for a reason: less chance at assassination, at least from the outside. But now it was just another reminder of the hateful back-stabbing and mistrust that had shaped Alicia. Now she wanted to be part of a new world, one where this deceitfulness would become just a distant memory.

"All right, you three can stop staring," Susan called out, rescuing Alicia. "Would you like some tea?" Alicia smiled and sat down between Susan and Peter. Caspian sat down, on the other side of Susan of course, and Edmund next to him. "Here, try some milk with it."

"Tea without milk is so uncivilized," noted Peter, earning a reproachful glance from Susan.

"Doesn't the morning seem so unreal?" Lucy asked from the other side of Peter, trying to tactfully change the subject.

"You don't have to remind her, Lu," Peter whispered before gathering another forkful of eggs.

"It's fine. I had reconciled myself to living without my father, though I didn't expect it would be this way."

"You don't have to live alone," Edmund said from across the table. He blushed a deep red as the others looked at him, and he kicked back at Lucy under the table. "What I mean to say is…"

"We were talking and we decided that you should live with us, here in the castle," Caspian finished. "You're like a sister to me. And I know how hard it must be for you, living without a family…"

"You've become almost like a part of our family, too," agreed Susan. "And it's nice to have somebody put Edmund in his place."

The mentioned monarch made an attempt at a growl with his mouth full of kippers, causing the table to erupt in laughter. "Of course I don't want to impose on you in any way, but I accept," Alicia said, smiling around the table and taking a bite of toast before continuing. "What other plotting have you been doing?"

Edmund sighed. "Why did you have to ruin it, Alicia? Now you all are going to get into a serious discussion about politics and the economy and goodness knows what else. Can't this wait till afterwards?"

"Ed!" exclaimed Susan. "How could you? It was a simple question!"

"Peter, don't eat with your hands," frowned Edmund before breaking into a toothy grin.

Peter was reaching for where his silverware had been and came up empty, his thumb landing in a pile of eggs. "Ed…that was all just so…Lucy, give them back!"

He got up and chased after his little sister, who had taken advantage of the focus on Edmund to collect the cutlery in question. He finally caught up to her and carried her, yelling and shrieking, back to the table while Edmund and Caspian burst into a roar of laughter and even Susan smiled.

Alicia laughed with them. It was so refreshing to see the Pevensies relaxed after the stress of the war and coronation. If only it remained that way, she thought, living with them would be quite enjoyable.

"Ed, I'm going to kill you," said Peter, sitting down in a huff as Lucy found refuge in her fellow culprit's arms.

"You've said that before," Ed smirked.

"Oh, I haven't even started. How do I have demons like you two as my siblings?"

"I don't know; ask our parents."

"Ed!" Susan exclaimed in horror.

Alicia smiled at Caspian as he finally got to enjoy his toast. This was a family to be loved and want to be a part of.

**88888**

As Edmund had said, it was all business after breakfast. They now sat in one of the dark meeting rooms, reports and scrolls filled with figures all around. The resettling of Old Narnians and broken families was going well in the country, Edmund and Lucy reported. Other officials were directing that now. The new suburb of Beaversdam was also well underway, and no longer needed Peter's personal supervision.

"The tax system must be redone and a census taken," Caspian said. "All the old records are useless now with our new subjects and the losses of Telmarines."

"Lucy, that was your department," Peter said, nodding to his little sister. Though she was just beginning to go through puberty, she had lived for almost thirty years, he reminded himself.

"There's also going to be plenty of unrest at any new taxes," Alicia commented. "Miraz imposed far too many of them to fund the army and his personal comfort. And to pay off the lords."

"The one's he didn't get rid of," Caspian muttered.

"The economy's also in bad shape," Alicia continued. "There was considerable unemployment in the cities, so to avoid trouble Miraz would expand the army, and to do so he would raise taxes and it would just keep going in circles. Also, we don't have the market abroad that we used to have for our crops and goods. They just aren't good enough anymore."

"With all those who left, there should be plenty of work, "suggested Susan. "The Old Narnians and Telmarines can learn different trades and professions from each other. Shouldn't that improve the economy?"

"But there's fewer people to serve and sell products to now," pointed out Edmund, "and it will take years to open trade routes again. Right now, there's not much we can do besides easing them into new jobs. Oh, and making sure they don't compete with each other for aforementioned jobs and services."

"Most of the Old Narnians were just hunters," Susan pointed out.

"They will need training to make them into farmers and craftsmen," Caspian agreed.

"Very few of them lived in cities, even during the Golden Age," added Lucy. "It will be difficult for them to live like the Telmarines."

Peter had been deep in thought in his seat beside Caspian and did not even hear this last sentence. Now he looked up. "Why don't we take them in a totally different direction? What are our main problems again?"

The others looked at each other, puzzled, before looking back at Peter, who was furiously jotting down notes.

"The economy's a wreck," Alicia said.

"Finding work for the Old Narnians," came from Lucy.

"We can't forget about the army, either," said Edmund. "They're going to be the hardest ones to integrate, and the last thing we want is brigands all around Narnia."

"Integrating our people at all," sighed Caspian.

"Our neighbors are also going to be dangerous," added Susan. Her siblings smiled. Of course it would be Susan, the consummate diplomat, who thought of that. "They're likely going to try to take advantage of our internal problems. The last thing we need now is another war."

"I think I have a solution that will solve every one of those problems," said Peter excitedly. It's actually been at the back of my head for a while, but once Aslan allowed us to stay I saw that we can and must make it possible."

"What are you suggesting?" asked the puzzled Caspian.

"Haven't you ever noticed that besides the fact that Telmarines are living here now, Narnia is basically the same place it was when we ruled, and for a thousand years before that? Can't you see? Why don't we bring the Industrial Revolution here?"

**88888**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14- Revolution**

**88888**

"Revolution?" asked Caspian, now completely lost. Images of people rioting in the streets passed through his mind, though he could not imagine why Peter would want something like that happening. "Industrial Revolution?"

"Maybe there's a reason Narnia has always been this way," pointed out Lucy, who realized what Peter was suggesting and felt horrid inside. "Maybe Aslan wanted it this way."

Peter ignored her, trying to explain to Caspian and Alicia what he meant. "A couple centuries ago in our world, something happened that we called the Industrial Revolution. There was no fighting; we call it a 'Revolution' because of how it changed society. Basically, instead of making things by hand, we began using machines, which burned wood or coal to create steam, which drove the machines. Later, we began using the steam to produce electricity. Electricity is like a fuel, but it's invisible. And it doesn't have to be used where it is made, like the heat of a fire. It can be taken through wires anywhere to power machines, even in people's homes."

"What are some of the things we could do?" he continued. "With steam, we could build factories to produce tools, toys, fabrics, furniture, metalworks, anything you can think of. For the most part, people wouldn't have to make them by hand anymore; they'd just have to run the machines. We could maybe even build cars, which are like carriages but don't need a horse to pull them; all they need is a source of power. In our land they run on oil, but we have very little of that. But some earlier versions were built to run on boiling water, and we could do that. We could build tractors, which do the plowing and harvesting for the farmer. We could build ships that can sail at any time, without having to worry about wind or rowers. There's so much we could do!"

Caspian and Alicia sat wide mouthed at this list of wonders. It was up to the other Pevensies to object.

"How would we even start?" asked Susan.

"I was studying engineering, remember? And it's not like we would have to design everything. We could explain how the things work to others, and I'm sure there are plenty who are smart enough to make them reality."

"And how does this all fit into what we were discussing?" This came from Edmund.

"Everything, Ed! Thousands of new jobs! And this will be something totally new, so there'd be no debating about who gets what job. The majority of the workers wouldn't have to be skilled, either. We would have to hire designers and train managers, but that would only be a few people, as opposed to trying to teach trades to all the Old Narnians. And once the infrastructure is in place, we have a whole new economy! We have the perfect land, too. There are plenty of rivers and forests for energy. Susan, you mentioned other countries. Narnia would put all of them to shame! We could produce quality items for export! Edmund, this would provide perfect occupations for the veterans! I'm sure everybody will be happier with how much easier their lives will be, and there will be zero unemployment. And think of what it would mean for Narnia and its people. The people need something they can be proud of, together. Not a Telmarine achievement or one of the Old Narnia, but one we need everybody to help in!"

"You don't seem to be giving them much choice," said Lucy.

"Are you sure that's really good for Narnia?" added Edmund. "I mean, for us it's progress, but to them, we'd be destroying their way of life."

"Ed's right," nodded Susan. "We should at least take it slowly."

"But what's wrong with it?" queried Peter, looking around the table with his hands spread wide. There was silence.

"Do you remember what Aslan said?" Lucy finally said, slowly. "'You have choices before you. Be content with what is given to you and you shall be at peace.' I think we should be content with the Narnia we have."

"Lucy, can't you understand?" asked Peter exasperatedly. "We've been given the chance to transform Narnia! We should be content with that and not long for the past. I know it's hard to change the Narnia we knew, but I think it's for the best."

"Whose best?"

"That of the Narnians, of course!" exclaimed Peter, throwing his hands in the air. "What's gotten into you, Lu?"

Edmund coughed. "Peter, she had a point. Is this really for the good of the Narnians? You say it will make life easier. Why is everybody always running around in England then? You say quality will improve. Why do we admire antique furniture and put them into museums as art, not the products which the factories produce?"

"They _belong_ in museums, Ed! As does almost everything else here, not meaning to insult you, Caspian and Alicia. It's progress. We have it easier as royals, but imagine that we lived like simple Narnian tradesmen. Susan and Lucy, you would be spinning on a loom to make our clothes, and cooking on an open fire that you would have to chop all the wood for. Edmund, you and I would be working all day at the forges or whatever our job was, earning our family's living with nothing but our strength or skills that took years to learn. We can change all that for our people!"

"So they can work in a factory instead of at a forge?" Lucy shot back.

Alicia sighed. It seemed that the worst sides of some of the Pevensies were coming out, and they were all unconsciously acting as if Caspian and she did not exist. And these were the people she had come to actually admire! She looked at Caspian, expecting to see the same disgust, but his face was blank.

**88888**

The back and forth between Peter and Lucy had continued for half an hour, with neither giving an inch, and Susan and Edmund occasionally making a point for either side.

"The Narnians are happy with the way they live now," Edmund said. "It's different for us since we're used to it, but I don't think they'll really enjoy it. Can you remember how hard it was when we returned to England to adjust?"

"It will take time, but we can do it. What do you think, Su?"

"It would be amazing _if_ it worked."

"It can and it will work!" exclaimed Peter. "Are we frightened of a project like this when we've faced Jadis, and Miraz's army, and so many other enemies?"

"This isn't a battle to be won," declared Lucy, worry etched into her face. "The only thing you'll be destroying is Narnia as we've known it."

Peter sighed and leaned back against his chair for the first time in what seemed an eternity. "Lucy, you're thinking in the past. I think it's time we moved on and realized that Narnia has changed forever. There's no sense in holding on to a dream."

"Than what is Narnia worth?" exclaimed Lucy in a burst of fervor. "If you want to make Narnia like London and Manchester, why are we even here?"

Peter jumped on this. "Maybe exactly for that reason! To create a new Narnia! Do you think that might have been our mission our first time here, and we failed? Perhaps Aslan's giving us a second chance to do that?"

"We seem to be at an impasse," Edmund noted dourly, running a hand through his hair. "We're going in circles." Lucy nodded at this while Peter stared tiredly at the stones in the ceiling and Susan sighed, burying her face in her hands.

"I think Caspian should decide," Alicia finally spoke up. "You haven't said a word in a long time."

Caspian looked up in shock. Peter's description fascinated him. He wanted Narnia to be a great nation, and this Industrial Revolution that Peter was describing would definitely transform it forever. He could see the points that Edmund and Lucy were making, though. He had been desperately praying to Aslan that they would make the right decision for his people, and suddenly the spotlight was on him. He had never felt more alone as he sat at the head of the table, looking at the five pairs of eyes turned expectantly upon him. Dozens of thoughts churned around his mind as he rested his head against the back of his chair. No matter what he chose, one or two of the monarchs would be very angry with him. Here was his first major decision as king, and he had no idea what to do. To tell the truth, he was quite intimidated by the influx of information, very little of which he understood.

He said finally leaned forward. "This will require a good deal of capital on our part, no?"

Peter nodded. He was not disappointed, though. Caspian was interested enough to want to know how they would go about the endeavor, he thought.

Lucy sighed. Aslan's words kept running through her mind, and she desperately felt that what was happening was wrong. Caspian couldn't do this! She looked imploringly at Caspian, but he ignored her pleading look.

Alicia looked at Caspian and knew that Lucy's fears were unfounded. As were Peter's hopes. There was simply indecision and fear in Caspian's eyes.

"Then this is a matter for the Royal Council to consider," he said, standing up. "All matters involving major use of government funds had to pass through it, at least before Miraz took over. We're reinstating that law, of course."

"Royal council?" asked Susan. "In our day we just had advisors." She thought of Tumnus and Oreius, and Peridan and Sallowpad. They had all been excellent advisors, but never had they had to witness fighting among the siblings like this. There had been disagreements, of course, but nothing so bitter.

Susan sympathized with Caspian. She was also having a hard time deciding what view to support. Peter's idea seemed brilliant, but she also saw it would be hard for the people to adjust. But above all, the Gentle Queen didn't want this to tear her family apart. She also wondered what Alicia and Caspian thought of the Pevensies now, and was afraid for their reputation.

Alicia didn't even hear Susan. It had taken all of her self-control not to scream "coward" at Caspian. She looked reproachfully at him, but he turned his head away. Caspian had failed, and he knew it. In his first decision as King, he had refused to make a decision. He was right about the law, Alicia thought, but he was using it as an excuse.

The High King noticed this, too. He had meant to submit to Caspian's judgment, but Caspian was clearly refusing to take charge. Peter was not consciously taking advantage of this indecision, but he knew another obstacle to his vision of Narnia had been removed. Surely Aslan had something to do with this!

"Please tell us about this Royal Council," he asked Caspian, leaning forward.

**88888**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Of Councilors and Courtyards**

**88888**

"We Telmarines have had a royal council for as long as memory serves," Caspian explained. "It was made up of twelve great lords, and served to advise the king. It also had to approve decisions involving large sums of government money and important legal decisions. The council would rule on charges of treason and served as a court of appeal on other charges. Succession used to be hereditary, but Miraz changed that to royal appointment before he shipped off seven of the lords, who were my father's closest supporters, to explore the eastern oceans."

"What happened to the lords?" asked the Gentle Queen.

Caspian shook his head sadly. "They haven't been heard from since they sailed. It has long been a desire of mine to find them. On my coronation day, I swore to Aslan that once peace was established, I would sail east and either rescue them or avenge them."

"We need to rebuild Narnia first," pointed out Peter. "There will be no peace till that happens."

Caspian nodded. It had been pleasant to talk of another matter, but the decision that had to be made loomed darkly in front of him. He could run no further. "Of course. It was quite brilliant of Miraz, actually. After they didn't return he could appoint whomever he wanted to the council without being accused of murdering the seven. There was no way to prove anything against him, at any rate. And with a majority of the seats open, he could give them to his minions, men whom he thought would give him whatever he wanted. The council has had less and less power lately as a result."

"Were Donnon and Galma on the council?" asked Edmund. "They don't seem the sort to be ordered around."

"Yes, along with Glozelle and Sopespian," replied Caspian. "They were all original members of the council, even under my father."

"Donnon and Galma were too powerful for Miraz to dispose of. My father and Sopespian were already on his side," added Alicia levelly. "If I understand correctly, they were partly responsible for placing him on the throne in the first place, to my shame."

"We don't hold that against you," said Edmund, and the others nodded, collectively agreeing for the first time in what seemed an eternity. "Others have done far worse in their own right."

"But even some of Miraz's own appointees turned against him then?" asked Peter, setting down his long-drained goblet of water and looking at Alicia. He had been doing some mental arithmetic and did not like the results. As a prospective engineer, there were far too many unknowns for him. "Can we trust them? What type of people are they? There were twelve of them, weren't there?"

"Lord Alba-he's in the city now-was involved in the conspiracy against Miraz, along with Lord Gregoire," replied Alicia. "But I think they joined Sopespian and my father simply out of fear of Miraz."

"What about all the others?" Lucy asked Caspian. "Where are they all?"

"As you know, the Lords Sopespian and Gregoire died in the battle. Scythely and three of the others are gone with the Lord Glozelle to your world." Caspian glanced at Alicia as he said this, but her expression did not change. "That leaves Lord Donnon, the Duke of Galma, Lord Alba, and two others of Miraz's men. Those would be the Lord Augustine and the Lord Medina, I believe."

"What are Alba and the other two like?" came from Peter, who, like Lucy, had been far from satisfied by Alicia's answer. Now he, too, turned to Caspian.

"Stolid, unimaginative, used to Miraz directing them," replied Caspian. He felt like a witness on trial, and wanted this to be over with. The Pevensies clearly wanted information, and they would get it; he would not fight them. "They were the least involved in the deception and back-stabbing that was common in the council."

"There should be Old Narnians on the council as well." All turned to look at Edmund. This comment seemed out of place with its lack of apparent self-interest. But it shook them out of their own plans, and they nodded. A more genial but still tense and guarded conversation about who should be selected took the place of the other. The qualifications of six were such that there could be little argument over this matter. And to tell the truth, all were so exhausted that, like Caspian, they wanted the meeting to be concluded.

"I shall raise all these matters with the council," said Caspian finally. "And now I think we should adjourn. It's far past lunchtime. I will call for the Royal Council to meet this evening."

Everybody agreed wholeheartedly. The tension in the room hung so thick it was almost suffocating. Alicia noticed sadly that the Pevensies each left by a separate door.

**88888**

Alicia had always felt sure of herself. After her captivity and her meeting with Aslan, a certain self-confidence had returned in the form of a sense of mission, albeit with far more humility than before. But as she wandered among the cloisters and courtyards that composed the interior of Beaversdam Castle, far more confusion filled her than she was comfortable with.

That morning, she had been quite relieved that the Pevensies had decided to stay. They could be the family she had never had; the breakfast had seemed to be a taste of paradise. But the tears in the bright fabric of that same family had become visible that day as well, and she was frightened of this. Surely they could not be guilty of the same manipulativeness and self-interest she had hated all her life? Had they been there the whole time, or Peter's plan been able to cast so deep a shadow on them?

She remembered the unfavorable impression she had conceived of them at their first meeting. But even then they had been relatively united. Alicia would never have dreamed that they could disagree in the manner Lucy and Peter had in the meeting. She could understand Lucy's passion for the old Narnia, but an old Telmarine saying came to mind, though its origin was lost in the waves of time with the Telmarines' maritime origins- "It takes more than one to hornpipe." And it was the other dancer that she was the most puzzled about. Pragmatism she could understand all too well, but not the passion and inflexibility in Peter's plan.

Yet it was pragmatism that she feared the most. She had seen how Peter and Lucy had hung on to every word about the lords, as if they were seeking knowledge that would help to sway them. The conversation had reminded her far too much of the very manipulation she had thought she was done with when she stayed in the new Narnia. Alicia had said as little as possible about Lord Alba out of fear that this information would be used to control him. Therefore, she had been furious when Caspian gave so detailed a description of the lords. But now that she was somewhat calmer, she reminded herself that even if Caspian hadn't told the Pevensies these facts about the lords, they would quickly have figured out for themselves. She worried for Caspian, she worried about the Pevensies, and she feared that she had made the wrong decision in staying. And Alicia was not generous enough to only wonder about her own decision.

Stopping, she noticed she had walked into a small garden. And there, at the same fountain where Caspian and they had chatted before the news of Donnon and Galma had arrived, sat a solitary figure. Edmund was hunched over with a picture in his hands. It was the same picture of the Pevensies that he had happily shown her and Caspian. But now it was with a deep bitterness that he stared at it. Hearing Alicia approach, he looked up and offered her his arm as a support when she sat down beside him. She took it, studying him intently. If there was one unbiased person who could explain what was the matter with the Pevensies, she thought, it would be him. Her newly-developed trust in his family had been seriously weakened, but not in him.

"What troubles you?" she asked. She thought she knew, but she believed it would be better for him to tell her himself. She wanted to find answers.

"I don't feel right about this." Edmund went back to staring at the photograph.

Alicia had a hunch. "Do you feel about Peter's plan like you do about photographs, compared to paintings?"

Edmund looked up in surprise. "I guess I have to become used to you being able to read me like that," he said. "I didn't think you'd remember that. But you're right. Peter didn't talk about the other things that come with industrialization- there's smoke, there's lots of ugly metal, there's men who come back home exhausted and dirty. No, I don't find it beautiful."

Alicia pulled back. It wasn't often that she saw Edmund so vehement. Dark flames burned within, indeed. She said nothing besides, "It was a guess."

Edmund also paused, trying to decide if he should continue. He looked over at Alicia and saw the sympathy in her eyes. He had already opened up to her so much; he saw no point in holding back. "The worst part for me is what Peter's doing. I felt like asking him, 'Who are you really doing this for?' Whether he admits it or not, I think that he feels the need to be a great king, as if he wasn't one already, and this is his way of proving his worth to himself."

It was ironic that Alicia, who was so used to finding fault in others, now felt obliged to defend Peter. Hope in humanity had been given to her, and she didn't want to let go. "What's wrong with that?" she asked. "I will not claim to understand his motivations. But I saw him going to work personally on the suburb, though he didn't want to talk. Maybe it is different in your world, but that elevates him in my opinion. If he has an ideal he's striving for, isn't that a good thing? This plan sounds like it could restore Narnia! And isn't that what you're here for?"

Edmund snorted. "It's not restoring anything! Lucy's right; I'm sure Aslan would not have wanted it this way. The old professor in our world who saw Narnia for the first time, when it was created, said part of the reason Narnia was so special was that it was untainted by greed and ambition and all the vices we see in others now, at least until the White Witch started her work. His uncle wanted to profit off of Narnia-building factories, no less- and was punished by Aslan."

"Why didn't you bring all this up earlier?" asked the surprised Alicia. "You don't seem to have a problem telling me, but you couldn't tell your family?"

"You didn't say a single thing the whole time!" shot back Edmund.

"I didn't know what to say. I know nothing of steam engines and factories."

Edmund was becoming puzzled as well. "But didn't you form an opinion in those hours? You all but said that you support the plan."

"I was actually not thinking about the plan," admitted Alicia. "I was thinking about the effect it had on all of you. You saw how frightened Caspian was! But I do want to help Peter as well, and maybe, if you're right and he wants to be a better king, having a mission will be good for him? And also, you still haven't said why you didn't say all this in council either."

Edmund sighed. "Peter and I used to hate each other…well, it was mostly that I hated Peter. Part of the reason I betrayed them was that the White Witch promised I would be king and he would be below me. I let my selfishness and jealousy get the better of me. I still feel jealous of Peter being the High King sometimes, but then I remind myself of what happened that time. I won't stand in his way when he's so determined. I'll try to bring up points he can't or won't see, but that's it. And I don't want to harm my family further."

"And that's a good thing, but are you taking it too far? Don't interpret this wrong; I'm not saying that I think what Peter wants to do is wrong, but what if it is? And more importantly, what effect will staying silent have on you? Will you let your guilt override your justice, your sense of right and wrong? Please, let go, King Edmund. For my sake, at least."

Edmund turned to look at Alicia, though he kept his arm linked. "Why do you do this? Why are you always trying to change those around you? Nausus, Prunaprismia, Peter, myself?"

Alicia sighed. "I don't really know; few people think it's a good thing and fewer people ask me about it. But I'm not trying to change people. I'm trying to bring out the good qualities I see in them and help them to fight the faults I also see. Maybe it's because I was so lonely that I started watching people so closely and felt I had to do something with the knowledge I was gaining. Or perhaps I was trying to create a better world than that I grew up in. Now that I look back, it was a good deal of pride, too. I thought that I was better than others and tried to make them into the ideal I had in mind for them. I believe Aslan showed me that this was the right track, but the ideal I should guide them towards was what's best inside the person and not what I want it to be. So in the end, it's the people themselves. So with Peter, what you've told me makes his faults clearer, but I want him to be the idealist I see in him. Maybe this plan is an embodiment of that idealism."

"And what is the vision you have of me?" asked Edmund, becoming even more intrigued.

"When I was in the How, I knew I was wrong to continue hating you all, but I wouldn't let go. My pride, and a misplaced sense of duty, held me back. I fear you are doing something similar. I see how honest you are, Edmund, and I just want to bring the real you to the surface. I want you to always be that just and loyal King, but I don't want you to live a lie."

Edmund looked in wonder at Alicia. For once he looked beyond her eyes. Alicia was not considered beautiful by the other Telmarines. Her cheekbones and jaw jutted out slightly awkwardly; the black hair, though the sun shone off the braids at the moment, was generally dull and rather messy. But Edmund realized he was attracted to Alicia, especially the heart he saw inside. He closed his eyes and leaned slowly forward to touch her cheek with his lips. The cost of one action…

His eyes shot open at the feel of a sharp slap on his cheek. "What was that about?" he asked.

"What was that about? You should be the one answering that," cried Alicia. "Let go of my arm!"

Edmund tried to pull her back, to talk to her, to explain himself. But she stood up, pulling him up with her, and wrenched her arm free. "I trusted you," she hissed with as much vehemence as she could muster before running out the courtyard, trying hard not to cry. There was nothing else to be said; those three words captured all that rang through her mind.

**88888**

_Fun book-verse fact: Speaking of honesty, the only time two times the word "herb" is used is in "Prince Caspian" as part of the food the centaurs provided Caspian and in "Magician's Nephew" when a plant described to be "like the herb called honesty." I thought this was funny when I discovered this while doing research for another story, considering that an idyllic land for me would include lots of herbs._

_Well, I promised that I would update within a few days, and I've made it with about five minutes to midnight here. And I'm sorry for the lack of development in the first part of the chapter. The perils of trying to introduce new characters indirectly…_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16- Realizations**

**88888**

Alicia didn't know what had happened to her. She, who had despised weakness, was running along the corridors trying hard not to cry. Thank Aslan nobody was there to see her.

She was certainly distressed when a door opened in front of her and a young woman stepped out. The last thing she wanted was for a Telmarine woman to see her so weak. But then she realized it was Queen Lucy and gave a quiet sigh of relief.

Lucy turned in surprise. "What's the matter, Alicia? Come in, let's sit down. This is my room."

Lucy's room fit her perfectly. It was simply decorated, but the few curtains and tapestries lit up the room like the sun that filtered in the wide windows. Alicia realized why Lucy had moved to this part of the castle; like her own room, it faced the east.

"Aslan gave me the eastern ocean as my symbol," Lucy confirmed, noticing Alicia's eyes roaming the room, "from which the sun rises. I always try to live where I can always start my day seeing and feeling it. I love how it's fresh every day, but in the end is the same sun that's shone in Narnia since Aslan sang it into being. So what happened to you?"

Even in her harried state of mind, Alicia could tell that Lucy was thinking about far more than the sun at the moment. She felt guilty at having to relate her own troubles, but Lucy leaned forward with such evident care and interest that she had to answer. "It's your brother," she said simply.

Lucy nodded understandingly. "He can be a royal pain sometimes, like this morning."

"Not that one, the other one!" Alicia gasped as she realized what she had just said, while Lucy suppressed a wide smile. "Oh, I didn't mean that about Peter. Edmund tried to kiss me."

Lucy sat up excitedly. "Oh, what was it like?"

Alicia stared in shock at the younger girl. Why couldn't she understand? "It was like…it was horrible! I'd finally learned to trust him; I felt he was a brother to me, like Caspian. And then- oh, how can men be so stupid? Maybe I led him on into thinking I felt something more for him, but, but why did he do that? Surely he realizes his limits? Nobody ever cared for me in my old life unless it was because of my family or because of what they thought I could give them, and I thought you all were different…" Alicia could not help feeling betrayed and taken advantage of again.

"Did he say anything to you, explain anything?"

"I…I'm afraid not. I slapped him and ran away. "

"Then talk to him. Let him explain. He acted before talking, which isn't like Edmund. Just give him a chance. Please, for me at least."

Alicia had to admit that Lucy was right; she had not given Edmund a chance to explain himself. Alicia's mind went back to the How and the way she had treated him then, and to a certain bowl of soup. But things would never be the same again.

"You're right, I was far too hasty...again." The soft toll of a bell floated across the courtyards, reminding them of another, ultimately far more important problem. "But we have to meet with the Royal Council now. And frankly, I'd rather be running for my life."

**88888**

Peter had gone out to help the workmen building the new suburb, to their surprise and gratification. He knew what he would say to the council; at the moment he just wanted to be alone. The last thing he wanted at the moment was for his siblings to be pestering him, and it was certainly satisfying to see the timbers and rafters of his plan rising from the ground. If only something far grander could be done, all across Narnia...

Upon returning, he was walking down a cloister beside a garden when he heard the soft murmur of voices above the gushing of a fountain inside. He stepped quietly, not wanting anybody to notice his presence. Curiosity eventually got the better of him, though, and he stepped inside an archway and looked into the garden.

Two people were sitting arm in arm on the edge of the fountain with their backs to him. He could immediately tell, though, that it was his brother and Alicia. Suddenly, to his horror, he noticed Edmund leaning closer to the girl. By Aslan, he was kissing her…

He closed his eyes, only to open them wide as he heard an obvious slap. Alicia had her hand raised and was saying something to Edmund. Then she got up quickly and pulled away, storming off to the side. Edmund stood staring at the ground for a while before slowly walking after her.

A whole series of thoughts ran through Peter's mind, and he suddenly felt possessive of Alicia.

Peter was not sure when it had started. At first it was his chivalrous nature feeling sorry for the girl whom life had dealt with so bitterly. But while trying to help her come to terms with the new world she was experiencing, he had come to pay more and more attention to her. It is a shallow line between attention and attraction, and Peter had unconsciously blurred it out of recognition. He admired her concurrent fragility and courage, as she had shown at Beruna and in the negotiations with the lords. Moreover, she seemed to understand him and like him, not as a king, but as a person. It seemed to him that they identified with each other in too many ways for it to be coincidence. Now that it appeared Edmund had somehow developed feelings for her in his own way, the line had sharpened in his mind and he was sure which side he was on.

Was this another opportunity Aslan was giving him? The chance to be with her? He decided to have a talk with her as soon as possible. But it would have to be after he showered and this essential meeting with the Royal Council was over. As always, duty came first for the Pevensies.

**88888**

Edmund caught up with Alicia as they walked along a hallway toward the chambers of the Royal Council. "Can we talk?" he asked, politely bowing.

"Afterwards." Alicia was frightened now, and wanted to put off the moment for as long as possible. At any rate, she needed time to collect her thoughts. Things were happening far too quickly for her mind to process.

They silently entered the dark and rather musky room. Sunlight crept in through a few latticed, grilled windows at the far end and sides of the room, while candles in the metal chandeliers above had been lit, flickering softly off the stone walls and bayed ceiling. It was a solemn place, befitting the council that met there. Like the rest of Telmarine society, with its once-Irish Donnons and once-French Bellépoques and once-Spanish Albas and Medinas, it was an eclectic mix of influences that had been combined into one dominating style over the centuries. It was Gothic without the points, Classicism without the columns, Baroque without the gild, and curved wooden timbers without knowledge of the ships of which they had once been the frames. It was architecture that had centuries of divergence and development from its roots in Spare Oom.

The King's throne sat on a stone dais at the head of the room with six ornate seats set against the wall on each side like gilded choir stalls for the councilors. Caspian had thought ahead and brought in chairs for the other monarchs, set on an expanded dais on either side of his throne. It was a temporary wooden platform for now, but that would be speedily addressed. Stone was already being cut, now that the Pevensies were staying. Peter sat to Caspian's right, Susan and Lucy to his left. Edmund sat down beside Peter and Alicia stood in the corner, as was customary for an advisor.

The door opened again and the five remaining lords bowed their way in. The Pevensies noted with amusement that they all sat on the right side of the throne, though they respected the hierarchy within themselves.

"His Grace the Lord Bellépoque, Duke of Galma, Lord High Admiral of Tel...Narnia, Royal Steward of the Islands, and premier noble of the realm," cried a herald, who now wore the lion of Narnia atop the cross and circle of Telmar. "His Grace the Lord Donnon, Solicitor-General of the Realm, and Keeper of the Privy Seal." Donnon looked as imposing as ever, even without armor, as he bowed curtly toward the front of the room before taking his seat.

"His Grace the Lord Medina, Parliamentarian of the Council and Under-Chancellor of the Exchequer." Medina was the oldest of the group, though as one of Miraz's appointees he had not been on the council as long as Donnon and Galma.

"His Grace the Lord Alba, Sergeant at Arms of the Council and Bearer of the Royal Napkin," the herald continued to intone. Alba was a quiet man in his late thirties, who generally preferred to remain on his country estates. The thought of exchanging his farmland for an island had been more than enough to persuade him to remain exactly where he was.

"His Grace the Lord Augustine, Bearer of the Royal Mace." The youngest of the lords, Augustine had been the most receptive towards the Narnians after the battle and had made friends with many of them. Peter had taken notice of him and, seeing a potential ally, taken care to facilitate his integration with the Narnians.

The herald bowed and made his departure, to Peter's relief. He could not help feeling thankful that they had not had to listen to twelve lists of what seemed to him to be largely meaningless sinecures, collected like trophies by the lords to be paraded before their peers. He could not entirely understand why Caspian would want the council to even exist. But he would have to work with it, and surely Aslan had a reason for this...

It would be some time before Peter discovered that the Telmarine kings had used the grand offices like currency while attempting to keep the lords happy. However, the said lords were more than happy to keep them. After all, it was the most natural thing in Telmar.

"We are delighted to see your majesty safe and hope that we may be of service to you and the monarchs of old," began Medina. "But only if you have something in return," was the unspoken supplement to this.

"We thank you, my lords. We thank you all for coming to serve us. First, We want you to know that We are restoring the rights to the council that Our treacherous uncle took away, namely the approval of all government expenditures exceeding five hundred crowns and appellate jurisdiction in all cases involving high crimes against the crown."

"We are honored, your majesty," Galma said for the others.

"We are also restoring to you and your families the hereditary nature of your seats, provided that it be in direct lineage and there be no treason in the blood."

The lords bowed and smiled, and Peter had to admit he was impressed. Caspian would be a good politician; in another, more seafaring land, one would have said that he was feeding the lords line before pulling back in. The next step would be far harder.

"What about the empty seats?" asked Augustine.

"Thank you, my lord. We were about to address that. We will retain the royal prerogative in Our royal person to fill any vacancies, as we do not want a skeleton council. We also believe it just to include the Old Narnians on the council, in a half and half manner." Caspian and the Pevensies had earlier agreed that it would be better for him, as a Telmarine, to be personally responsible for these appointments.

The lords looked at each other, but there was not much they could say. "Who did you have in mind, your majesty?" asked Donnon.

"The badger Trufflehunter, who has given Us much wise council, will be one. There will also be a representative for the four major races."

"General Glenstorm for the centaurs and Trumpkin for the dwarves," supplied Peter.

"Nausus will represent the fauns," put in Lucy. "His ancestor Tumnus was one of our trusted advisors, and he himself has wisdom as well."

Alicia and Edmund felt sure that Lucy's memories of Tumnus had obscured her view of the present faun's wisdom but remained silent in that point.

"Pelinor will represent the minotaurs, and the mouse Reepicheep will stand for the other creatures," Edmund finished.

The Telmarine lords had listened silently to the first three names. There was not much to argue with as far as the qualifications for those three, though Donnon did shift ever so slightly at the mention of Trumpkin. Nausus they had never met. But the last two names drew ire, or at least their classification did.

"A rat on the council!" exclaimed Donnon.

"Your majesty, in the islands we have a saying, 'smells like the rear end of a minotaur.' Has your majesty thought of the embarrassment this will cause?"

To the surprise of the Pevensies, the other lords and Alicia broke into a laugh. Even Donnon smiled widely. Only the Duke of Galma would be so inappropriate in council.

"You all have agreed to stay and help build a new Narnia," answered Peter once the laughter died. "That includes working with the Old Narnians."

"The people of Telmar were represented by their lords," continued Caspian. "It is fitting that Narnians…all Narnians…should be represented in the new council. We ask that you see them as your brothers and not as old enemies or," he paused, turning to the Duke with a slight smirk, "the butt of jokes. We have taken the liberty of ordering them to report in half an hour, once the word had been broken to you."

Galma's roar of laughter seemed to settle that question. Donnon and the others exchanged looks, and then Augustine spoke up.

"Sir, you said that half of the council would still be Telmarines-or humans." He corrected himself after a cold glare from Peter. "There are five of us. Who will be the sixth?"

"Our nobility has been heavily decimated, first by Miraz and now by the war and the return to their majesties' land," put in Alba.

"We are aware of that," Caspian replied. "We are appointing the Lady Alicia Glozelle to take her father's seat on the council."

**88888**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17- This is the Council**

**88888**

It was hard to tell who was more surprised at Caspian's announcement, Alicia or the lords.

"Your majesty, you never told me…I'm not worthy," stammered Alicia.

The lords were more vocal. "This has never happened before!" cried Medina, as the others murmured agreement.

"With respects, your majesty, there has never been a woman on the Royal Council," added Donnon, more diplomatically.

The Duke of Galma at least looked at Alicia. "I have no intention of disrespect to the Lady Glozelle or especially the memory of her father. However, we have witnessed few of the qualities that have distinguished the lords on this council. Wisdom, the respect and fear of her people, courage in battle? Even now, her ladyship is afraid to take the post."

"With regards to Lady Alicia's courage, she has already saved Our life at Aslan's How, and her conduct on that occasion would do honor to a lord of Telmar, though that is an episode We are sure all would rather not remember. As for her wisdom and the respect of her people, We are sure the monarchs of old will attest to these qualities. As should you, my Lord Duke and my Lord Donnon."

Peter and Edmund both blushed slightly and exchanged looks at one sentence while the two lords bowed at the next. They all nodded solemnly, though. Lucy glanced in concern at her brothers but nodded as well. Susan raised an eyebrow. However, seeing that her siblings were occupied she stood and spoke for them.

"In the short time we have known the Lady Alicia, she has given us much wise council. We are glad to call her our friend and we would be delighted to have her as an official councilor."

"But my king…"

Caspian had not yet played his trump card in this game of whist. "There is no law against it," he said. "I know of no other as qualified by blood and her actions as the Lady. Might We remind you that she is now head of one of the oldest houses of Telmar? As far as memory can go, a Glozelle has sat at this council."

"I believe the lady should speak for herself," said Medina. "Do you, Lady Glozelle, really consider yourself ready and able to take the responsibility of a member of this high council?"

Alicia felt ten pairs of eyes on her. She had never been so frightened; the responsibility that Medina spoke of, though she knew he was trying to frighten her, was imposing. She silently berated Caspian for suddenly thrusting this responsibility upon her. If only he had told her earlier and let her decide in peace and quiet! Alicia was thankful that the lords had never paid enough attention to her to know all her old faults, but it was slight comfort.

She suddenly realized that as a councilor, she would have to make momentary decisions like this. And was she wanting to shirk responsibility, just like Caspian? She wanted to help Narnia, and what better way than as a member of the Council?

She took a breath. "I accept."

"Lady Glozelle," intoned Caspian, "take your seat as a Councilor of Narnia."

She made her way to the end of the room. There was an awkward silence; Lord Augustine, who as the youngest of the old lords had previously been at the end of the line, did not even look at her as she sat down.

"Very well, then, I believe we should bring in the others," announced Caspian.

**88888**

The Old and New Narnians had bonded surprisingly well. The Telmarines were impressed by Glenstorm's gravity and wisdom, while Trufflehunter and Nausus were affable and were able to make their counterparts comfortable with their company. Reepicheep, surprisingly, was the favorite of the Telmarines. The little creature's gallantry and panache made a fine impression on them. Aided by the gregarious Galma at one end and Alicia at the other, the councilors were actually having a decent conversation. The only ones left out were Trumpkin and the minotaur Pelinor. Though Trumpkin had forgiven the Telmarines for his imprisonment and near drowning, his sarcasm and mannerisms did not endear him to the Telmarine lords. And Pelinor, though he tried hard to be affable, had earned raised eyebrows from the Telmarine lords and a sudden fit of coughing on the part of the Duke of Galma when they were introduced.

The five monarchs were happy. Though they could see there would be tensions on the council, the integration was going much better than they had hoped. But Alicia was not sure what to think. Though Caspian had acted decisively in adding the Old Narnians, it seemed that the only strong decisions he had made during his reign were the ones that allowed him to avoid making a decision at all.

Caspian finally called the room to order. "Our first order of business is a plan that King Peter has to, essentially, transform our economy. He believes that it will help our people move on from the war and make our land great again. As it will require a large disbursement of our funds, whether to approve it or not is a question for the council."

It took Peter over an hour to outline his radical plan. Every machine and piece of infrastructure had to be explained again and again to the puzzled lords, for that was what all the councilors were now. They were amazed, and Alicia could see almost all were excited at Peter's stirring views. Medina and Alba listened silently and suspiciously, though.

Lucy then gave her views, emphasizing how Narnia had remained unchanged for so long and that she did not believe it to be Aslan's wish to industrialize. Susan spoke shortly about how hard it would be for the people to handle the changes.

Edmund was torn. Alicia's advice to speak his mind about the rightness of Peter's plan kept ringing through his mind, along with his loyalty to his brother. He made his decision.

"This will require a great deal of capital, money that the treasury at the moment does not have," he said quietly, not mentioning his real concerns. Caspian had brought up what seemed to him a good point earlier, and he seized on the opportunity to sidestep the real issues.

"It would be implemented by stages, and each stage would provide money for the next step," answered Peter.

There was a short discussion among the lords. The Old Narnians especially had been touched by Lucy's speech, and Peter and Lucy were trying hard to talk to everybody. The other three monarchs sat silently.

"I believe it's time we voted," said Caspian finally. "Aye or nay for funding this endeavor."

"Tradition is for the vote to proceed from the junior lord," stated Medina. As the youngest, this would be Alicia.

Alicia wanted to cry out. This was a tradition that was rarely followed, and she knew Medina was using it to test her, to see her squirm at the attention. The truth was that she was unsure of herself. She saw Peter's ambition, but also believed that it would be for the best of the country. Edmund surely would understand. After all, he had criticized her for not stating her mind earlier. But there was so little time…

Earlier that day she had almost wished that she had gone with her father, so as to not see the faults exposed in those whom she had finally come to admire. But now she was alone, and there was no way to turn back.

She made her decision, and with it she staked herself and her future to one person and that person's position.

"Aye," she said with as much firmness as she could muster.

The Old Narnians were split in half. The younger ones, Reepicheep, Nausus, and Pelinor, voted in favor. Trufflehunter and Glenstorm, who like Lucy could remember tales of the old Narnia and loved it, were opposed as was Trumpkin. Likewise, Augustine voted aye and Alba nay. Alicia could see a frown forming on Caspian's face. If the vote was tied, it would be up to him, as head of the council, to cast the deciding vote. And he was clearly no closer to being willing to make that decision.

Donnon's logical mind examined what he could understand of the plan. There would be an increase of exports, much of which would pass through his port city of Glasswater. Unlike most Telmarines, he did not fear the sea, and he knew of its value as a trade route. He wanted to be a part of the new order in Narnia, and he could see that Peter had his mind set on the endeavor and would push it to fulfillment. "Aye. I believe this is the best option Narnia has going forward."

Galma and Medina followed Donnon's lead. Caspian exhaled as quietly as he could, and Peter smiled triumphantly. Lucy felt like crying but her years spent as queen had prepared her well for moments like this and she kept a tight-lipped face.

"Very well," said Peter, standing up. "We shall meet with architects and engineers from both our peoples tomorrow morning and begin drawing up plans. We believe we will have an assessment of the costs ready by the end of the week," he said, nodding to Edmund. "In the meantime, we ask that all the unemployed, as well any laborer who so wishes, be told of this endeavor. For Aslan."

"For Aslan," echoed from around the room, mechanically from some of the Telmarines, enthusiastically from others as they stood up.

"Then this meeting is dismissed," said Caspian. "For better or worse, we are committed to this. If any man or creature still be opposed, it is our wish that they endeavor to cooperate for the common good. For Aslan."

He turned and walked out the room quickly. The others glanced at each other and filed out the room to go their separate ways.

**88888**

"Caspian! I can't believe you! You could have at least told me beforehand!" Alicia had managed to catch up with him in a fast-darkening courtyard.

"I thought of it on the go," said Caspian with a wan smile.

"You thought of a lot on the go," Alicia snapped. "Don't think of the Council as an excuse not to rule as a king."

"Alicia, please let it go. I'm doing what I think is best." His head bent, Caspian walked away into the darkness of the corridors.

Alicia heard the soft murmur of voices and looked around to see Peter, Susan and Edmund watching her. Susan gave her a hard look and walked after Caspian. After a pause, the two young men both stepped toward Alicia. To Peter's surprise, Edmund suddenly put an arm in front of him.

"What is it, Ed?"

"Could I talk to her alone? I'll be quick."

"Shouldn't you be asking _me_ the question?" snapped Alicia. "But I wanted to talk to you too."

"Then let's walk over there." Edmund offered his arm, and after hesitating for a moment Alicia took it, reminding herself that she owed Edmund an apology as well.

Alicia realized as they rounded a hedge and faced a fountain that the courtyard led to the same garden where they had been earlier.

"It's about earlier," said Edmund shamefacedly. "I realized that I felt something like love towards you, and I wasn't thinking logically. I thought we would be more, I thought you returned my feelings. I was selfish and couldn't see beyond what I wanted to. So I apologize for being so forward and hope we can return to what we were before…good friends."

"Thank you for being honest," said Alicia sincerely. "I owe you an apology as well for slapping you, after all you've done for me."

A faint smile came to Edmund's face. "I believe that you could be charged with treason for an assault on Our royal personage?"

Alicia paled, then realized Edmund was trying to break the tension. "We both know that isn't the usual you," she said, "though I do wish you would open up more like that. You do know that I view you as a brother, but nothing more?"

Edmund swallowed and nodded. "It was never meant to be. Peter likes you, and I think you like him too. It was wrong of me to get in the way. And he wants to talk to you now."

He turned away, but then suddenly stopped and spun around. "Just once, Alicia?"

Alicia saw the pain in his eyes and knew exactly what he meant; he did not need to explain. Respectfully not even holding her arms, he closed his eyes, leaned in, and kissed her on the cheek before turning and walked past the glimmering fountain into the shadows.

**88888**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18- Moving On**

**88888**

Edmund knocked softly on Lucy's door. Hearing a muffled sound, he slowly turned the handle and slipped in. The girl was seated on her bed, head in hands, sobbing away now that she was no longer bound by the decorum of court. He sat down by her and embraced her, as both let their frustrations flow in the comfortable silent company of the other.

"You could have said so much more," Lucy finally said in between sobs. "You know what Peter is doing is wrong."

"Lu, I think it will turn out well. Aslan won't abandon us, will He?"

Lucy paused. "I think He would be ashamed of us," she said quietly.

"Lu, you have nothing to be ashamed of…" Edmund paused as he realized that Lucy was gently referring to him. "Look, I know Peter is doing this for himself, but maybe it will be good for Narnia. Whether we like it or not, Caspian's right. We need to do our part to help. These people need us, Lu! Maybe Peter's right and Aslan left us to change Narnia. It hurts me too, Lu, it hurts. But we're in it now; let's move on and try to just keep the bad aspects away."

"What if we're really here to stop it? You're not thinking, Ed! Your loyalty to Peter's making you blind! Please, why doesn't anybody listen? It's just like at the gorge!"

"My vision is fine. Lu, I know you love the Narnia we entered. I love it too; I can see how you would have loved to spend the rest of your days in it, with Tumnus and Oreius and Peridan and Sallowpad and Philip and the Beavers. But Aslan called us away, and we had to live with that. I have no idea what the future holds for us, Lu. Let's not make this more difficult than it already is."

He squeezed Lucy more tightly and a few minutes were spent in silence. Lucy finally pulled away and tucked her feet underneath her so she was facing Edmund.

"Something else is troubling you."

Edmund nodded glumly. "I realized I loved Alicia, as a woman and not just as a sister. Or maybe it was just an attraction. I don't know anymore, but I thought she loved me too. But I tried to kiss her, and then realized I was wrong. It's all over now."

"Then I'm not the only one who feels helpless as life moves faster than us."

They leaned back on the bed and let the weariness of the day overtake them. They were already back to the age where what they were doing would be considered inappropriate, but they didn't care. They were each other's innocent salve for wounds, not wounds like the ones that Lucy's cordial healed but wounds on the inside.

**88888**

Peter was immensely happy. His presentation of the wonders of industrialized society had carried the day in the council, and overwhelmingly, with unexpected allies emerging. His vision for Narnia would move forward. And now he was seated on a bench in a quiet part of the castle with Alicia's head resting on his shoulder.

He remembered that he had never cared much for girls his first time in Narnia. It seemed paradoxical that, in that innocent age of glory, courtship and marriage had meant nothing to him, and yet in this darker world Alicia had happened. Why was it that he cared so much about somebody who wasn't half as beautiful as many of the princesses and noblewomen who had been thrust at him? Maybe it was the fact that she understood the burden he carried in that year back in England. Maybe it was the eyes he had noticed right away, even though he would never be able to read them like Edmund could. Maybe it was the fact that she _hadn't_ thrown herself at him. He had been the one making every advance, and she had not rejected him. It was strange, he thought, that she was able to open him up so well. It was almost as if Aslan had meant her to with him, to be a light in this dark time.

"Alicia," he whispered.

She woke with a start as she realized the awkward position into which she had drifted. She started to pull away, but decided against it. It was so comfortable…

"I never thanked you properly for your vote on the council," Peter said.

Alicia started to nod, then checked herself. "It wasn't for you, you know," she said. This was true; it was for herself, for the vision of the Pevensies she wanted to preserve, for the past she sought to expunge and the future she desired.

"Of course not; it was for Narnia," smiled Peter. "And there was something else I wanted to talk to you about…"

"I know, your majesty," she interrupted. "But I think you should know that I'm not ready for anything serious. I'm only sixteen, after all. If one starts courting, which isn't common at all here with all the arranged marriages, it is usually only after a dozen-and-a-half years."

"Of course," said Peter understandingly. "But could you see a future with me?"

Alicia laughed. "I don't seem to have a choice, do? But yes, I could."

"Then I'm content."

As much as she wanted to live in that moment, Alicia reminded herself of her Aslan-and-self-appointed mission. "I am worried about you, Peter. Are you sure that you aren't doing all this industrialization for yourself?" Alicia desperately wanted Peter to say no, to show that he was still the 'chevalier sans peur e sans reproche' she thought she had seen, the knight without fear and above reproach. A small voice inside told Alicia that she was violating the very principle she had explained to Edmund. But she drove it away. Edmund had driven her away by his actions, and she was alone. And she did not want to be alone again.

"I'm sure I'm doing what Aslan wants for Narnia," Peter answered sincerely.

"That's what I wanted to hear."

**88888**

Edmund walked into his new office and set a cup of coffee down. With the rationing and the loss of the East Indies to the Japanese, it had become quite a luxury in England. It was expensive here, too, having to be imported from Calmoren. He wondered if they could encourage some Narnians to start planting it. The Duke of Galma looked like the sort of person who would enjoy it, and Galma had the perfect climate as well. Edmund even dared to imagine that it would replace the Duke's ubiquitous beer. Edmund had to remind himself he was no longer old enough to handle beer in the copious amounts that the Duke consumed and insisted on bestowing upon all those around him.

He had barely settled into his seat when the door opened and Peter stepped in. "Here's the list of materials," he said after the customary greetings. "The first project will be a metalworks factory. Pots, pans, plows, that sort. Nothing too complicated for now, but all steam-powered! Once that's in place, we'll have the experience to move on to more complicated processes."

"Alright, I'll start asking for bids and setting up a timetable." Edmund glanced over the list and looked up. "Why wood for the structure? There's a serious risk of fire, especially since the workers will all be new to the equipment. Stone won't be much more expensive since Beaversdam is much closer to the dwarf quarries in the north than to the central forests. Plus less risk of killing a dryad."

"By the lion's mane, how didn't I see that?" Peter exclaimed, then sobered. "You're not entirely in favor of my plan, are you?"

Edmund stood up and started pacing. "No," he said slowly. "But I'll do my job, and I'm sure it will be for the best eventually."

Peter nodded and walked toward Edmund, grasping him by the arms. "Thanks, Ed. I don't think I ever told you this, but you've been a very good brother."

"You didn't need to tell me; you had it sorted, remember?"

Peter winced at the memory. "Alicia also told me what you told her."

"What did I tell her? We've talked a lot, you know," said Edmund, trying to look innocent.

"Don't try that with me, Ed! You know exactly what I mean. But it was the last part I wanted to talk to you about. You told her to go to me. How could you be so _un_selfish?"

Edmund's smile faded slightly at the old memories. "I was just in the way. Ignore it, Pete, like nothing ever happened. I'm sure you and Alicia will be a great couple."

Peter smiled and clapped his brother on the back, then stepped out the room. Edmund sighed and sat back down, examining the papers. Yes, he would move on, into the shadows like he had the night before, and help with Peter's new Narnia. He must have caught some of his brother's enthusiasm, he thought as he began calculating how to make this project practicable.

**88888**

"You aren't going to lunch?" asked Susan, peering into Caspian's office. A grunt was the only answer, as Caspian looked up from his papers and then back down again.

"I thought that was what you would, um, say," scolded Susan. "I brought lunch with me and you, Caspian the Tenth of that name, will eat it." A grinning servant came in with a tray and set it down on the desk before bowing his way out.

"As your majesty wishes," Caspian muttered. He reached for a fork when his face brightened. "On one condition." He leaned across the desk and pecked Susan, who had pulled up a chair, on the cheek. "Is your majesty satisfied?"

"Quite. Now, drop the formality, Caspian."

"Of course, your majesty," he couldn't resist saying. This earned a slap from Susan and then they started laughing. Caspian realized he was ravenous, and dug into his meal accordingly as the banter flew back and forth between him and Susan. Eventually, so did a tossed hard-boiled egg which Susan barely dodged. Caspian winced as it splattered on the wall behind Susan. Thank Aslan it was stone. He would clean it himself, of course.

"What's the matter?" asked Susan, noticing his smile fade. "Besides the fact that your throwing is worse than than your skill with a longbow."

"You ducked! But I remember that it was Alicia who taught me to clean up after myself rather than ordering servants to do it. I still haven't apologized to her for last evening."

"You should; you need to be more sure of yourself, Caspian. Though I feel your pain. I'm not sure what to think, either. I feel both Peter and Lucy are right! What if we make the wrong decision, though? I just don't want my family to be hurt. It's so sad to see Peter and Lucy arguing. They used to be so close, and now they're avoiding each other."

"The council has decided, Susan. I'm putting it into motion now."

"But are you happy with it?" asked Susan, worriedly.

"If Peter's right and Aslan allowed you to stay so that it could be done, I'm happy. Especially with you by my side."

He reached out to hold her hand and the two relaxed. There was one thing that seemed certain in the future that extended to unknown destinations before them: they would travel it together. It was pleasant to let all other matters pass from mind.

**88888**

Lucy stood on the highest tower of the castle, watching the last rays of the sun disappear in the west. She had remained in her room through most of the day. When she finally emerged for dinner, nobody said anything about her absence, though Edmund smiled understandingly and squeezed her hand when she sat down and Peter, realizing he had hurt his beloved little sister, directed the conversation to lighter topics. She still realized how much work they all had done during the day, though, and she felt guilty for not helping. She realized with a shudder that the sun had already set on the Narnia she had known.

Part of her told her to keep fighting, to not give an inch. But she would not face all the others alone, any more than she would have gone to Aslan without the others on their journey to the How, as much as she had wanted to. She hoped that it was all just a dream, that none of it was real. But reality kept closing in on her.

Though she hated it, she would work with the others as they faced the future. Together, as the Pevensies had always done.

In the distance she could see the scaffolding already rising for the new factory. It was time for a new era of the world, a new Golden Age. The Industrial Revolution had reached Narnia.

**88888**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19- Two Years Later**

**88888**

The five monarchs and their faithful councilor stepped gingerly along the rope bridge leading back to the shore. This project had been Lucy's idea. Here the Great River was just changing from a fast-rushing mountain stream into the deeper, more majestic waterway with which most Narnians were familiar. It was perfect for the mill located in the middle of the stream that would soon provide flour for almost all the countryside above Beaversdam. Best of all, in Lucy's mind, it did not involve steam.

Her views on the industrialization happening across the country had not changed, but she had stopped fighting it. She now strove to make sure that the workers had decent living and working conditions, and her mind was full of ideas on how to use the new products in different, better ways. To the surprise of all, though, it was she who largely directed the castle in Beaversdam. In the Golden Age that had been Susan's specialty, but Susan was so busy helping Peter with his plans and with diplomacy that she left her not-so-little sister to handle the parties and daily matters of running a household that she had used to enjoy so much. Edmund, meanwhile, had taken charge of the finances and restored the country's credit and coffers. Peter had to admit that the plan would never have succeeded if it wasn't for Edmund's talent at making the new infrastructure profitable. Caspian, meanwhile, left the industrialization to Peter and Susan and managed the other affairs that came with governing a people. It was, all things considered, a very harmonious arrangement.

Though he didn't personally direct it, Caspian had a keen enthusiasm for the modernization once he saw how it worked. This enthusiasm was bubbling over as they continued their inspection of the works north and west of Beaversdam.

As Peter had predicted, unemployment had been nearly eliminated. And for the most part, the new machinery had resulted in little tension. Most of the people were so amazed that the few traditionalists who spoke out were quickly silenced. Starry-eyed ambassadors from Calmoren and Archenland came now to tour the factories, though the Narnians tried to keep them from examining anything too closely.

"That was brilliant, Lucy!" exclaimed Caspian.

"Building it in the middle of the river at least doubled the power," commented Peter. "Now all we need to do is construct a proper bridge back to shore and improve the southbound road. You should help us plan more often, Lu."

Lucy shook her head, not sadly now but matter-of-factly. "I still don't like the factories," she said, "or the machinery. The people are enchanted, but they're starting to realize how dirty it all is. And we can't build forever. Sooner or later, there'll be too much supply and people will go hungry."

"But we've barely even started!" exclaimed Susan. "We're still riding horses, for goodness's sake. We haven't even started talking about trains, let alone cars!"

"Do you hate the machinery that's rebuilding Cair Paravel for us?" asked Peter. "It took centuries for King Frank's descendants to build, and it will be done in two more years at this rate!"

"We should move before it gets dark; the army's waiting for the review," interrupted Alicia, galloping away as Caspian and Edmund, not wanting the argument to continue either, followed her. The other three shot glances at each other and then followed.

Alicia's work now consisted mostly of council meetings and administering the family estates east of Beaversdam. She was involved in the diverse work of all the others, but in the background. She wanted it that way. Some other members of the council were still jealous of her special status with the royal family and it would not do to give them any more reasons for complaint.

Unfortunately, she had discovered that the Pevensies were never entirely the idyllic family she had envisioned the morning of the coronation. Especially with the conflict between Peter and Lucy, things had never been the same amongst them.

But she was almost a member of the family, Alicia thought, and that was far better than anything she had ever known. This was reinforced as the Pevensies galloped past her, calling out for her to catch up. Alicia smiled. They had made up, as they usually did. She was also sure that Peter's eagerness to see the army had something to do with that.

Most of the old Telmarine officers and professional soldiers had either been killed or had returned to Earth, so the army had to be built from the ground up. This time, it was filled with men and beasts immensely loyal to Caspian and Peter. General Glenstorm's military academy in the mountains was producing a new generation of intelligent, courageous officers. And the army, though smaller than the one that Miraz had fielded, had already, under the command of Peter and Glenstorm, decisively beaten the giants of the north. Now it was largely based in the excellent training areas northwest of Beaversdam, with a smaller force guarding the eastern coastline. The telegraph was still in the developmental process, but wires were already being strung to connect all the major cities and military posts. In the event of an invasion, the plan was for the forces of the Telmarine lords scattered through Narnia to hold long enough for the royal army to be alerted and arrive.

Peter would have been more than happy to abolish these feudal armies. Caspian and Alicia had barely been able to dissuade him from suggesting this to the council. These forces had been a means of checking the royal power for so long in Telmarine culture that they knew trying to eliminate them would badly provoke the lords. And so Peter had submitted, though he always looked askance whenever the Duke would gallop into the capitol with a large troop of knights gaudily clad in the colors of Galma, or Lord Augustine, whose lands were closest to Beaversdam, would assemble his men-at-arms for exercises.

For the sake of logistics, the royal army had largely been divided into battalions according to race but they all worked closely together. There were ten battalions, each with two hundred men: two of human cavalry and two of infantry; one each of centaurs, dwarves, fauns, and cats; a mixed battalion of satyrs and minotaurs; and a battalion for the other creatures-the bears, the dogs, the stags, and all the other peoples of Narnia. The army was drawn up for review as Peter and Caspian proudly rode past, with the other following. It was quite thrilling to see the long lines, some clad in red tunics with the gold lion and silver cross and circle on the front over polished armor, others _au natural_. And there, at the end of the long lines, was the Lord General Glenstorm himself.

"Your majesties, I hope my men were satisfactory," he said, bowing.

"You've done a fine job," complimented Peter. "They look splendid."

"My only wish is that they may fight was well as they look, your majesty."

"That may soon be put to the test," cautioned Susan.

"The Calmorenes are jealous of our new wealth and say we are taking their trade away. We have reports that they are mustering an army, which can only mean one thing," Edmund explained.

Glenstorm saluted. Peter had introduced this custom, though it was not universally adopted for obvious reasons. "I understand. I shall have the army ready to march on short notice."

Peter would have gladly stayed the night, but Susan had other plans. "Come, now," she reminded him. "We want be back at Beaversdam in time for dinner."

"I take it you're in a hurry to utilize the new coal-powered baths as well?" remarked Alicia, once they were out of earshot of the army.

Susan's blush affirmed that suspicion, but nobody pressed the matter. After all, it was something they all looked forwards to as well.

**88888**

The next stop was a mine far to the north, almost into Ettinsmoor, where dwarves ran a stone quarry. Usually there was an immense bustle in the adjoining town, but as they entered there was a dead silence. Nobody was in sight.

"They must be at the mines," exclaimed Caspian before kicking Destrier into a gallop toward the glimmer of lights further up the mountain.

Sure enough, the whole population, mainly dwarves but including a few men and other beasts, was gathered near the entrance to the mine. But it was no normal work activity. Wails and groans filled the air as bodies were being carried out. Burnt, scalded, crushed bodies.

"What happened?" asked Peter, pushing to the front of the crowd.

"That machinery happened, that's what," a dwarf near him said. "Blew up, killed at least a dozen of us right there, then fell down the shaft and crushed another dozen. Curse it, curse it, Aslan curse it!"

"Finnigan!" exclaimed Alicia, pushing her way to beside Peter. "I thought you were in the army!"

"I once was. Thought it would be safer here and a better life," grumbled the dwarf. "I was wrong. I would not have had to see this destruction."

"It's all his fault!" cried a woman from the crowd as people began recognizing Peter. "My husband would still be alive if it wasn't for him!" Shouts of agreement began coming from the crowd. "Murderer!" "My brother!" "It's your fault."

Peter felt this sting bitterly. He had been responsible for constructing the now-destroyed machinery that had hoisted the stone blocks from the bottom of the quarry. And now dozens of his subjects were dead. It wasn't really your fault, a voice within his head cried. But he felt guilty all the same. He had failed his people; at the moment, he would much rather face an army of giants than the angry men and women before him.

"He had no idea this would happen!" shouted Caspian, who with the others had formed a circle of sorts around Peter . "Can't you see his sorrow?"

"He lied! We heard it was good magic. Bah! It destroyed us, our families, our livelihood!"

Peter stepped forward. "My people! You must listen to me, your king! Peter the Magnificent!" The crowd fell silent at his majesty. "You lost your husbands, brothers, and sons. I have lost them too. Each one of you is like family to me."

"But when I became king, I swore an oath to serve and protect you. When we built the machinery, it was for your good! Do you remember how back-breaking it was to drag each stone to the top? Do you remember how many of you died as ropes broke or simply of exhaustion? I cannot excuse myself for the deaths of these men. But they died ushering in a new era for all of us. I never promised that this would be magic; I never promised there would be no pain involved. But will we allow their deaths to be in vain, in a project that you all embraced whole-heartedly and would now throw away?"

He looked around the crowd. There were a few murmurs, but nobody dared challenge him now. "Beginning tomorrow, we shall rebuild. My men shall study what happened and make sure that this tragedy never happens again. I grieve with you all. But let it make us stronger and more determined. Let the rebuilding we shall do be another step in making Narnia great again. For Narnia and Aslan!" His voice nearly choked at the end, with words he could not bring himself to entirely believe. But he forced himself to finish.

For a frightening moment, there was silence. Then first Finnigan, then a few others, then the whole crowd echoed the cry. "For Narnia and Aslan! Rebuild!"

"That was magnificent," whispered Edmund.

"I don't appreciate a pun right now," Peter shot back at the startled Edmund. "We have a funeral to lead."

**88888**

_I always found it funny how Cair Paravel could possibly be rebuilt in the few years between PC and VDT when the castles and cathedrals of Europe took decades or even over a century. _

_The first part of the chapter was obviously filler, linking two parts of the story. I'm sorry but it had to be done. __Everything__ developed in this chapter will be important later. On a side note, you may have noticed the cycles of six. The story will consist of sections of twelve chapters, with a break of some sort every six._


	20. Chapter 20

_Hey, so sorry for not updating. But I'm finally done with finals and so I should be able to update regularly._

_I will be posting a chapter a day for the next four days as these four chapters (especially 22 and 23) in my opinion contain the most important character development of the story and will go straight from one to the next. The poem at the beginning of Chapter 13 is especially the theme for these chapters. _

**Chapter 20- Plans for the Future**

**88888**

Peter wore black for the next two weeks. The disaster at the mine weighed heavily on him. In fact, nobody had seen him so depressed since they had returned to England the first time. He had met with his engineers and drawn up plans for rebuilding the mine, but he was just going through the motions, with no heart in it. Once they were completed, he had locked himself in his room and not left, his only contact with the outside world being the servants who brought him his meals and papers.

Susan had given him a week and then the procession began. Each one of the siblings and even Caspian had gone to try to coax him out and had failed. Susan managed to persuade him to have breakfast with them but he had sat in utter silence the whole meal. Lucy's attempt ended with her leaving in tears at seeing her brother's hurt. Peter, who despite all their differences still loved her dearly, had gone to apologize to her and then promptly shut himself back in the grand confines of his room.

Edmund and Lucy and Alicia had been both right and wrong about his motives in pushing industrialization. In the shock of Aslan's revelation that they could stay, he had wanted to leave such an impact on Narnia that Aslan would never take them away again. All the frustrations and suppressed desires of the past year had caught up with him then; he would be a great king again, one who would lead Narnia into a new, greater Golden Age. Surely what he was doing was Aslan's will! How couldn't it be, with the progress his people and country were making? He put his whole being into putting the plan into action, coming up with ideas, bringing them into reality, supervising every new project. In time, both he and the people identified himself with the industrialization. It was Peter's creation, Peter was the embodiment of this future. And so it seemed that part of him died with those miners. Worst of all, it brought back his fears of it all being taken away, of losing Narnia.

When Alicia braved the trip into Peter's den, she found him seated at his desk, scrawling blankly on a parchment. The dark circles set under his eyes testified to his sadness even as he tried to smile at his visitor.

Alicia sat down on his bed. The Telmarines had been shocked by that particular habit of the Pevensies at first, but lately some of the younger courtiers had picked up the habit and were doing it whenever they had a chance, to the horror of their elders and amusement of the royals and Alicia.

"The poor fellows that contract is for will have no idea how much they're being paid," she pointed out.

"Oh, sorry." Peter hastily placed the quill back in its stand.

They sat in silence, Peter staring at his desk and Alicia studying him. They had not had a chance to grow much closer over the past two years. Peter was immensely busy with his responsibilities, and Alicia understood that these duties would always be first for him. She did her part in prying the duties away from him, but she did not regret coming second. She was not even sure what her feelings were. Respect for Peter's sense of duty, disgust at his overbearingness, love for his chivalry, sadness at his pride, pity for his sorrow…she felt them all in her heart. She wanted to help him, but he clearly did not want sympathy.

"Moping isn't going to bring them back," she finally said.

"I know."

There was another silence. Alicia looked hard at Peter but he would not open up or even look at her. "Who are you sorry for?" she asked finally.

"Who do you think?"

"I fear it's yourself," said Alicia quietly. "Is this all because you feel you failed?"

"I did fail," snapped Peter. He had gotten up in anger at Alicia's words, but now he composed himself and sat down next to her. "You're right, just not in the way you think."

"Why don't you tell me? It definitely doesn't help that you've closed yourself to everybody."

Peter absently took one of Alicia's hands and stroked it while running the other through his hair. "I'm sorry, it's my burden and you can't do anything about it. Well, I have been a frightful jerk to all of you, haven't I? I'm sorry-for my behavior." He lapsed into silence again.

Alicia sighed and got up. She had failed, but she promised herself she would not rest till Peter was healed.

The next day she saw Edmund standing outside Peter's door, straightening his collar and taking a deep breath before he turned the knob. He turned upon seeing Alicia motioning to him and with a raised eyebrow followed her down an adjacent corridor.

"Ed, just don't let him feel like you're sorry for him. That's the worst thing for him right now. Don't even mention the mine. Talk about something totally different. Try to make him realize how much we all need him."

"Susan said the same thing, but thanks." Edmund smiled and started to walk before stopping and turning around. "For always being there for me."

"Watch out or I might be gone one day and you'll be so lost," joked Alicia before beating a hasty retreat.

Peter was at his desk as usual. Edmund, not bound by the same rules of decorum as Alicia, simply stretched out on Peter's bed.

"Ed, your shoes! They're filthy! And get off my pillow!"

Edmund almost smiled. He knew all the ways to annoy Peter, having spent much of his time before Narnia doing exactly that. He didn't give him a chance to recover his grumpiness, either.

"I've reorganized the legal system."

"Without telling me?"

"You were occupied. But anyway, doesn't it seem inefficient for all cases to be brought to us?" All of us, especially Caspian, are being flooded with everything from land disputes to embezzlement cases. I've been talking with Donnon and he said that under Miraz, the people would usually just go to the lords because going to Miraz usually ended up badly for all involved. So if we establish lower courts-like in Britain- we can make things so much easier. It makes sense, too. As much as we'd like to, we can't know everything about every corner of Narnia."

"The people will still want to go all the way to the top," Peter pointed out.

"So we arrange it like a pyramid," explained Edmund. "If there's an appeal or a royal crime like treason, there'll be a royal court, each member of which can make a decision-Donnon, Trufflehunter and I could be on it- and then only after that will the case pass to all of us."

"I'll miss the audiences," admitted Peter.

"So will I, but this will be better. The population of Narnia is four times what it was in the Golden Age, and it's still just the four of us-well, five with Caspian. As much as I'd love to, we can't oversee everything. How many bad decisions do you think we make because we're so rushed?"

"Edmund the Just as always," remarked Peter, almost smiling. "Does the council mind losing appellate jurisdiction for royal crimes?"

"Oh, they'll still have that. As a matter of fact, I lied. The plan still has to be finalized at the council meeting tomorrow, and you _will _be there." Peter nodded, and Edmund almost smiled. Alicia and Susan's advice was working brilliantly. "I think they'll actually enjoy being able to stay on their estates more often. The poor Duke of Galma is dying for some sea air."

"I can understand that. I miss Cair Paravel, and the rides we'd have together on the southern cliffs over the beach…"

"There's magnificent plains a few hours' ride away toward Beruna. We should go sometime, get out of this place. Ugh, the Witch's castle was brighter."

"It was ice, Ed. Of course it was bright. We could always build you another one…"

"No, no, brother, rebuilding Cair Paravel's good enough for me." Edmund did not shudder as he would have two years before, but this still awakened memories he would rather remained sleeping. "That's it! Let's go visit the construction."

"It's not like it used to be, when we could roam and do whatever we wanted. We're adults now, Ed, and that means we work."

"Of course, considering we're halfway into our graves already. I mean, we're going on what-thirteen hundred and twenty?" Edmund quipped, stroking the stubble starting to grow on his chin.

"You win, _little_ brother," said Peter, getting up. "I guess I have been a regular Piltdown man. But we only go to Beruna."

He reached for his cape and walked out the room, Edmund trailing behind with a wide grin.

Everyone would notice that Peter was fiercer, that all his actions seemed to have a strange urgency, that he had become twice as involved in the industrialization. It was as if he feared that it would not be finished by some strange deadline. The idealism was slowly fading, and being replaced by a grim sense of mission. But he was part of the family again. No matter what, everyone believed, the Pevensies could not be broken. Ever.

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_Fun (Spare Oom) fact: Piltdown man was to that generation and earlier what a Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon man is to us, until it was revealed to be a hoax in 1953._

_Please review!_


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21- We Hate Diplomacy**

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=Castle of Joyeuse Garde, Southern March=

If ever a place was wrongly named, some whispered, it was Joyeuse Garde. Its namesake had been the castle of Joyous Guard, where in Arthurian legend the lovers Lancelot and Guinevere had found refuge. The spectacular scenery was certainly not the culprit. Bounteous fields stretched northwards before meeting the wild woods south of Beruna; and the imposing peaks of the Archen mountains framed the view to the south. But now it was the ancestral home of the Albas, stern folk who were feared but rarely hated, respected but almost never loved. And it was far from civilization, being the very southern tip of the castles and towns that dotted Narnia. It was not just a home; it was Narnia's first line of defense, and as such it resembled a military camp more than a proper manor.

"With respects, my lord, I could never bear to live here," noted Peepicheek as he and Lord Alba strolled along the battlements, wrapped in their greatcoats. It never ceased to amaze him how the scorching winds of the Great Desert could chill the bone by the time they had passed over the mountains. "It must be a quiet life."

"You and your people are always so straightforward," remarked Alba, with something resembling a smile. "But my people and I are tied to this land. I could never stand the cities, especially now with all the smoke. Let them build all the factories they want! But time stands still here."

Peepicheek twirled a whisker. "I wish I could persuade you to come along with the rest of Narnia," he said. "This is rapidly becoming the poorest part of the country. But we digress. My Queen Susan wanted a report on how the frontier is faring."

"Nothing more exciting than a few smugglers and the usual complaints about tariffs," said Alba, shrugging. "I am beginning to feel that the title of Warden of the Southern Marches is about as empty as that of Bearer of the Royal Napkin."

Peepicheek shook his head. "It's a thankless job," he said, not unkindly.

"It's not my job to be thanked." Peepicheek smiled, but Alba did not seem to find any humor in his own words. "Well, I shall in fact be riding to Beaversdam for a council meeting, so I can report to the Queen in person. Your regiment has full rights to my stores and facilities."

The mouse looked up in surprise. "You're leaving? Again?"

Alba nodded glumly. "You know how our monarchs are. One of them had an idea and then they couldn't reach an agreement on it amongst themselves, most likely. Well, fare ye well."

The mouse suddenly felt alone as he watched the Telmarine lord riding away at the head of a troop of men-at-arms and his own men training in the courtyard below. Reepicheep seemed to have a premonition that he would not remain long in Narnia, and so Peepicheek was slowly being eased into his master's positions- Head Mouse, Commander of the Tenth Battalion, and Army Inspector General. But having been second fiddle to Reepicheep for so long, he felt outmatched.

"Sir," came a voice behind him. Peepicheek turned to see a dwarf, in a fresh lieutenant's uniform. "Lieutenant Finnigan, reporting for duty."

"Ah, Finnigan!" exclaimed Peepicheek. "So good to see a familiar face! Welcome, welcome!" He stepped back when the dwarf remained at attention, and then remembered that he now outranked his old friend. "Of course, at ease, at ease." Peepicheek looked the other up and down, then grasped his hand. "You've changed, old chap. What brought you back into service?"

"I was at the bloomin' mine disaster up north," Finnigan replied simply. "Couldn't bear it any longer. If my time's up, I prefer it be as a soldier, not watching like some far-off bird as my fellows suffer. And then King Peter insisted on giving me back my commission. I didn't want any part of it; told him I'm just a common Narnian and all, but he wouldn't be stopped, like as if he'd be guilty if he didn't do it. Well, here I am, and I'm sure there's work a-plenty to be done."

"Yes, indeed. Finnigan, you're lucky you're only a lieutenant. I always thought of myself as just a common Narnian as well and now…" Peepicheek's voice broke off as he spotted an unmistakable flash of light reflecting off metal to the south.

"What's brewing?" asked Finnigan as Peepicheek srambled to the top of the battlements for a better look.

"I think you picked an excellent time to return to duty."

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=Beaversdam=

"Peter! You're alive! We were beginning to wonder what kind of skeleton would emerge from your room," Susan said with enthusiasm as she and Caspian rose from the settee on which they had been seated. "So glad you're fine," she added before pulling Peter into a hug that the others joined. "You must be starving." She did not mention the accident, and the others took the hint.

"A little," Peter admitted. "But that can wait! What have you all been doing?"

"Well, there was an ambassador from Terebinthia," sighed Susan.

"They aren't taking kindly to us trying to get them to follow our new laws," commented Edmund.

"I am so sick and tired of diplomats and diplomacy, of sitting and smiling as they drone on and on," Susan remarked. "I almost wish they'd just tell us to go to Tash and get it over with, since it's obviously what they're thinking."

"It's treason, really," added Edmund. "But of course we have to be just and listen to all their excuses."

"I shall have to go there to reassert Narnian sovereignty," Caspian said from the alcove where he had sat down again. "Do you remember how I swore that, when I had set everything in order in Narnia, I would find the seven lords Miraz exiled? It would be perfect, killing two harpies with one stone."

"Your heart isn't in order," smiled Susan as Edmund and Peter groaned. "Why don't you wait for a couple more years? Calmoren is still threatening us, and there's still plenty of work in Narnia itself."

"Very well, I suppose we could send Lucy to try to negotiate with them."

"Oh, no you don't," said the aforementioned monarch as she walked in, chatting with Alicia. "Do you think I enjoy diplomacy any more than you?"

"You can charm anyone, though, which is why you and Susan make such a great team," pointed out Peter.

"And of course I get dubbed as the logical diplomat every time," grumbled Susan.

"I'm surprised your Golden Age was so peaceful," laughed Caspian, "considering every one of you hates diplomacy. How did you settle arguments among yourselves without Alicia and me?"

"We're the Pevensies," replied Peter as the others stood on either side of him. "We may fight, but we'll always be united at the end."

Alicia felt just a twinge of jealousy as she saw the love that passed between all the siblings. Their greatest virtues seemed to complement each other perfectly. Peter was the visible leader, with his magnificence and ability to inspire others with a grand vision of things. It was natural for him to lead the Narnian armies, and now the industrialization. Susan was like a mother to the others; she played the role of conciliator when they argued, counselor when they had difficulties, comforter when they suffered. This extended to the people and to other nations, making her the ideal diplomat. Edmund was the real force behind the government. It was he who managed the finances, the justice system, the local bureaucracies, and all in a quiet and efficient manner. Above all, he was just; though not as loved as the more charismatic Peter or Lucy, he was the most respected by the people. And Lucy was quickly blossoming into a beautiful young woman, full of ideas on how to help her people and make their lives as joyous as possible. But it was her valiant faith in Aslan that stood above all else, and which helped guide the others through difficult times.

Alicia was content, though. She felt her mission was to help them live these virtues to the fullest. As a matter of fact, she was becoming convinced that Aslan had given her the title of "Faithful" as a reminder to never abandon her mission, even through all her failures. Peter relied more on others now, especially Susan and Edmund, while Edmund seemed to have moved on from his past. However, Susan was becoming more distant and absorbed in her work, and bitterness was clearly growing in Lucy, even though everybody still loved her. In her, Alicia was reminded of her own previous bitter attitude towards both Telmarine and Narnian society. And she felt she had failed Caspian. He seemed more and more like an administrator and not a king, though his people still loved him. Yet she was not bitter for having failed. She continued to talk with them and kept trying, never losing faith in Aslan. Alicia had gone through her own trial of fire already, and she believed that faith she had gained would never pass.

"You distracted me," exclaimed Lucy, "from telling you some wonderful news. The Master Builder at Cair Paravel sent word that it's ready to be moved into! There's still a lot of work to do, but it's habitable."

"We should move as quickly as possible!" exclaimed Peter. "That's wonderful, Lu!"

"Even now, I can't believe this is possible," Susan said. "To think that we're going to live there again, with all the memories…"

"They've even trimmed dear Lilyglove's apple orchard back to the way it was when we were there," Lucy informed them.

"It will be splendid to be in the throne room again," Edmund remarked. "Nothing against the throne room here," he gave a glance at Caspian, "but nothing could compare to that room…the light coming in through that beautiful stained glass, the banners, the slender arches and columns…"

"If only my dear Doctor Cornelius was still here to see it," remarked Caspian.

"I'm sure he's with Aslan now," said Alicia, putting an arm on his shoulder, "in a far better place."

"And I'm sure nothing would honor his memory more than for us to not live in the past, but to move forward," Peter stated. "He wanted us to found a new, better Narnia. This may remind us of the past, but I think we should think of it as part of the start of a new Golden Age."

The others remembered Cornelius in a different light, but said nothing. They did not want to break the magic of that moment with a serious argument.

"We must have a ball to celebrate!" Susan exclaimed. "What do you think, Lu?"

"I believe we haven't had one in over a year," noted the younger sister. This was true; with the duties of running a country, pursuits such as balls took a back seat.

"I say we move into Cair Paravel first," put in Edmund. And Susan actually agreed; the others could see she was remembering the grand parties they had used to have there.

"Longing to plan one again?" teased Peter.

"It has been a while," admitted Susan. "But I am. Oh, Caspian, Alicia, it will be so amazing once it's completed!"

"It sounds like Heaven, dear. I don't know how I shall deal with living in what my ancestors destroyed, though."

"Caspian, for the thousandth time, it wasn't your fault! Our own ancestors were barbarians too."

"It's rather funny," added Edmund. "There was a Roman civilization in Britain, with towns and monasteries, and then our ancestors came and destroyed all that. Within centuries, they were building the same towns and monasteries again and being civilized by them. I feel we're seeing our own history all over again."

"How does it all turn out, though?" asked Alicia. "I hope it doesn't all end like it has in your world."

"Let's not think about that," Lucy said. "Come on, you must all be starving! And I asked the cooks to prepare a special dinner tomorrow tonight to celebrate!"

"What is it? I haven't enjoyed a meal in weeks!"

"They're going to find some smoked eel! Do you remember how the marshwiggles would bring them whenever they visited? "

"Of course, considering how similar they looked," muttered Edmund.

The others laughed at the memories, but Caspian was turning rather green. "Eel?" he asked in disbelief.

The Pevensies regaled him with eel tales as they ate lunch. Alicia was happy to see everyone so relaxed. They seemed to be a perfect family again. But she felt sure that it was too good to last; something would go wrong. She did not expect how it would end, though, or how soon that would happen. It was that evening when a messenger arrived with the news, news that would represent a huge step in the downward spiral that about to overtake Narnia.

He rode hard into the city, his horse on the verge of collapse. His armor was rent and battered, and one could barely distinguish the red cross of Archenland on his blood-stained and ripped tunic. He was quickly ushered into the throne room, where the monarchs had been hastily gathered.

"By the Lion's Mane!" exclaimed Susan. "You must see our physicians."

"That can wait, your majesties," gasped the messenger. "Archenland has been crushed."

"The Calmorenes," growled Peter, as the messenger nodded grimly.

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	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22- The Green Fields of Archenland**

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Peter thought angrily of the ride he and Edmund had taken through these same fields heading toward Beruna two days previously. How could he have been so carefree when allies of Narnia were being butchered? And why had the sword of war fallen so quickly, so terribly?

He knew _how_ it had happened. Narnian and Archen spies kept a close watch on Calmorene pack animals, knowing an immense train would be needed to carry enough water for a sizeable army to cross the desert separating Calmoren and Archenland. What they had not expected was for another type of pack animals, human slaves, to be used. They were sure that the bodies of hundreds of the unfortunates marked the hot, dusty path from Tashbaan to Anvard. Peter squeezed his reins in anger as he thought of this barbarity and that which had befallen the sleeping residents of the capitol city of Archenland, Anvard. King Nain had barely escaped with the remains of his army and court and was now desperately trying to rally the Archenlanders from other parts of his kingdom.

Peter hoped that they would at least be in time to avenge the deaths of their friends. The royal army, having already been alerted to the danger of war, was now on the march south towards Beruna, where it would cross the Great River, then march down the west side of the River Rush, and meet the remaining Archenlanders in the mountains west of Anvard. That is, if they were still alive. He had no idea what the Calmorenes were doing, though it was expected that they would strike at Narnia next. Galma and Donnon had ridden posthaste with the Telmarine calvary back east, to organize the defenses at Glasswater and Cair Paravel. But Archenland had called for aid, and Narnia would bring succor as was tradition.

At any other time, Peter's heart would have lifted at the sight around him. His siblings and Caspian rode beside him, the royal banners fluttering in the slight wind behind them, and then came the lords of the council in the blues and reds and golds and greens that had become the dominant colors in Narnia. Long lines of centaurs, Telmarine infantry, fauns, minotaurs, and other creatures that had fought each other on too many an occasion now pressed forward together, their organization a testament to the sleepless days and nights he and Caspian and Glenstorm had poured into creating a new Narnian army. Yet they had not been there to save Archenland. A dread silence sat over the long column as it marched inexorably south. The others tried to start a conversation, but Peter would not talk, unless it was to give a curt order.

The fields changed into the rough country south of Beruna, full of rocks and valleys, which then faded again into rougher grassland and farmland leading up to Joyeuse Garde and the mountains of Archenland. He remembered how in the Golden Age Edmund and Lucy had led another Narnian army through this same countryside, albeit from Cair Paravel and farther east, to fight the Calmorenes. They had saved Anvard then; this time they were too late.

It was evening on the third day when a camp with the red and gold arms of Archenland and the banner of King Nain appeared over the arm of a mountain. There was some cheering as the Narnians marched in, but for the most part they were greeted with a dead silence. The camp was full of civilians, the horror in their faces expressing the loved ones they had all lost. Peter put his head down; every face seemed to accuse him of failure.

**88888**

King Nain and his three surviving sons, along with the nobles who had survived the massacre or who had just joined him, were seated on one side of the tent with the Narnian monarchs and council on the other. A sparse meal had been set on the table between them, but lay untouched. The gravity of the situation was too much.

"The Calmorenes have moved out of Anvard, heading northeast towards our coast cities," explained an Archen lord. "They are taking their time to loot, though."

"Why are they so confident?" asked Trufflehunter, puzzled. "I mean, we'll actually outnumber them for once!"

"Our spies are finally reporting a supply train being gathered," replied Nain. "They must be preparing a second army, now that war has been openly shown."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" asked Reepicheep, drawing his rapier. "Let us avenge our comrades before the reinforcements arrive!"

"We don't know when the second army will arrive," pointed out Prince Dorrin of Archenland. "The first army can always avoid battle till it does."

"And then if we march northeast after them we'll be caught between two forces," Susan put in, frowning.

"Can we stop them at Anvard?" asked Caspian. "Surely the walls can be repaired in time."

"Their cavalry has superior mobility," Dorrin pointed out. "If we dig in, they can completely cut us off from our supplies while doing whatever they want to the rest of our lands. We've been outmaneuvered."

"What if we strike the body of the octopus?" asked Edmund from his habitual corner.

That caught the attention of the others, though most of them responded with puzzled looks. Alicia was the first to understand. "You mean advance and attack the second army?"

"Catch them in the desert when they don't expect us, encumbered by a baggage train," exclaimed Nain. "That would be perfect. Brilliant, your majesty!"

"But what about the first army?" asked Lucy, frowning. "If we march south, we'll be too far away to help the Duke and Lord Donnon! And what if the Calmorenes do to Glasswater and Cair Paravel what they did to Anvard?"

There was a pause at this as the Narnians looked at each other and the Archenlanders shifted uneasily. "It's a risk we'll have to take," Peter finally said determinedly, to the relief of the latter. "If we destroy their reinforcements, they'll be cut off."

"It will be far easier to make them surrender then, without further loss of life," commented Susan.

"Then we are agreed," King Nain said. "We march in the morning."

Most of them settled in to partake of the meal before them. But one monarch was too lost in his own thoughts to notice.

**88888**

Alicia wished that they had not had to pass through Anvard on the way south. The once proud red-brown stones and verdant green lawns, fed by the waters flowing off the mountains, now were charred black. And the Calmorenes had not bothered burying the bodies of those they left behind.

Alicia had seen death and witnessed the sorrow of survivors before, at Beruna and the mine. But there people had cared for the dead, and buried them as heroes. She had never seen such barbarity as this, nor the wild grief that overcame the Archenlanders as they found the mutilated bodies of their families. She saw King Nain embracing the lifeless body of his eldest son, Prince Dor, who had died defending the rear gate of the palace as his people fled for the mountains. She saw the body of Nain's queen, still dressed in the nightclothes in which she had fallen, being carried to the tune of a solemn chant into the burial crypt of the kings. At least the Calmorenes had respected her body. That was more than could be said of many of the corpses that she saw. Lucy was everywhere, hoping she could save somebody, but Alicia knew it would be useless.

She averted her eyes and then saw something totally unexpected. Peter was on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably and occasionally beating the wall he leaned against.

Peter had never felt such self-loathing. He had pledged as High King to protect his country's much smaller but still valuable ally; this treaty had been renewed shortly after Caspian came to the throne. And now all the wounds that had been created by the disaster at the mine and recently covered were ripped open afresh. He had failed them; every dead and mutilated body screamed at him. He had failed Aslan; twice, people he had pledged to protect had been suddenly taken away. Surely Aslan would not allow him to stay now.

He felt someone pull him away from the wall and set him on the ground. Water was gently poured over his bleeding hands and a cloth applied. He forced his eyes open and saw Alicia leaning over him, worry evident in her eyes as she glanced at him before returning to her work.

"Just let go," she whispered.

Peter never had or would again think Alicia was as beautiful as in that moment, when she knelt amid the death and ruin and bandaged his hand. He reached out with his free hand and tucked some of the dark hair cascading onto his arm back behind her ear.

Alicia did not respond but neither did she pull back. Peter's suffering reminded her of how everything had seemed to go wrong for her once. She had never seen him so vulnerable before, and she was not one to cross him at a time like that. Finally she stood and helped Peter up, nodding her head.

Peter turned and saw Caspian and Edmund walking toward him, faces puzzled but sympathetic. "If you should need someone else to lead the army…" Caspian began.

"Look, Pete, you really shouldn't take the responsibility right now," Edmund cut in. "We can only imagine how you feel, but it isn't fair to our men to see their leader like…this. They need to be strong at a time like this, and you aren't helping."

Peter took a deep breath. "I understand, Ed. But this is my responsibility, and I will avenge their deaths. I will never let this happen again. I will make the day the Calmorenes left their cities a day of remembrance for them like this has been for us."

He picked up Rhindon from where it had fallen and buckled it back on as he walked away without a backwards glance. The other three exchanged a long, worried look but then followed him. Three hours later, everything possible in the time having been done for the deceased, they rode south toward the desert.

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_The event of this chapter and the next are not meant to refer to actual events or people in any way (i.e. 9-11)_

_Please review!_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23- These Burdens We Carry**

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_There will be a battle scene in this chapter. If it isn't your thing, I'm sorry. However, as I will try to make clear, this isn't 'Let's have the evil Calmorenes defeated for the fun of it/ to show how awesome the characters are." Far from it. The battle and all the events of the past few chapters are leading up to the conclusion of this chapter._

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The caravan trail from Tashbaan to Anvard had once been a busy one. Then, Calmorene merchants had a near monopoly on providing the crafted goods that agricultural Archenland lacked, and in return they would take back the fine Northern grain to sell for large profits in their own markets. It was a dangerous journey, but if one planned it well he could make a fortune in that trade.

When Narnia had begun to export these same goods, though, they had a huge advantage over their Southern counterparts. The goods only had to be shipped down the network of rivers and then taken over the well-travelled mountain passes, reducing costs. The Archenlanders, having been raised to mistrust the Calmorenes, needed little incentive to buy from their closer cousins. And so the Southern trade route had almost died out.

Meanwhile, with no Northern market for Calmorene goods, the supply of grain withered away. A severe drought also reduced unprepared Calmoren's own food capacity, leading to widespread demonstrations and anger at Archenland and Narnia. It was a time bomb of various elements-merchants, craftsmen, expansionists who had long coveted the rich northern farmlands and rivers- waiting to explode.

In the end, the Tisroc had given in and allowed the plans for invasion to proceed. In the convoluted politics of the Tisroc's palace, there was no clear plan for what would be done once the conquest had been accomplished, besides taking grain, but one objective was certain: the barbaric Northern countries would be crushed and their people punished for the suffering that had come upon Calmoren.

**88888**

The road had become covered with sand again, but the trodden ground and bodies cast alongside the road bore witness to the army that had passed a week earlier. Another army was on the march north now, with long lines of infantry preceded and followed by cavalry in mail suits and flowing robes, who also flanked the long train of pack animals and wagons trailing behind.

"They have not set any scouts out, your majesties," reported General Glenstorm as he made his way to where the monarchs waited behind a tall dune, half a mile west of the caravan trail.

"Good, then let us survey them," said Peter, taking a glass from his aide, Sir Greydell, and inching his way to the top of the dune. "How many of the enemy would you say?"

"They still haven't developed plate armor," Edmund noted, taking the telescope and studying the enemy lines. "This shouldn't be too hard." Plate armor was something the Pevensies had invested a considerable amount of time and money on introducing to the Narnians.

"Oh, hang the armor! How many are there?"

"Well, I'd say about five hundred horse in front and two hundred in the rear with the baggage. About three thousand infantry in the middle."

"They are very careless," noted Prince Dorrin. "We should attack immediately."

"Very well," Peter ordered Lord Augustine. "Signal Caspian."

Another invention that Peter and Edmund had spent a good deal of time developing and perfecting was a heliograph. Now a few discrete flashes of reflected sunlight alerted Caspian, who waited with three battalions a mile away, ahead of the advancing Calmorenes. The sound of trumpets soon carried across the still desert air as his Telmarine infantry and minotaurs and satyrs advanced over a ridge, head-on toward the Calmorenes.

This sound was echoed from the Calmorenes, as the cavalry hastily broke column to form a long line. It was a classic Calmorene tactic-allow the enemy to advance, sweep in with cavalry and utilize superior numbers to overextend and surround the enemy, and then smash through the center with masses of infantry. But this time Caspian wasn't trying to match the Calmorene flanking. As the long line of cavalry swept in, the well-trained battalions effortlessly shifted into a series of squares. The nonplussed cavalry charged the squares again and again, but were stopped by the rows of long pikes. This was a style of fighting the Calmorenes had never encountered before, and they could not break the solid Telmarine squares. As for the minotaurs, the Calmorene warhorses would not even go near them.

Things started happening quickly. "Now!" Edmund shouted to a trumpeter. And as the signal sounded, fifteen hundred men and beasts rose from where they had been crouched.

"For Narnia and Aslan!" Peter cried as he lept onto his horse and drew Rhindon. Over the dune and toward the Calmorene infantry he rode, followed by Edmund and the lords, centaurs, cats, fauns and dwarves, the men-at-arms of the Telmarine lords, and Prince Dorrin at the head of a few hundred Archenlanders. Even without the slower creatures who had been left with the Queens Susan and Lucy to protect the Archen civilians and King Nain and without Donnon and Galma's force, this was the greatest force that Narnia had ever fielded. The overhead sun sparkled brilliantly off their armor as they charged like a mighty metal scythe, Death's scythe, toward the enemy.

The Calmorene infantry had been deploying from their marching column to face Caspian's force, and were now horribly out of position. They hastily tried to turn their formations toward the west, but all knew it was hopeless. In a matter of minutes, it was a disordered free-for-all. The Narnian battalions had also dissolved, order being sacrificed for shock power.

Peter barely saw what was happening as he slashed around him, driving his way through the Calmorene ranks. He was not thinking like a seasoned warrior anymore; rage, sorrow, and suffering blinded him. Too late, he realized he was being pulled off his horse. He struck the man with Rhindon's pommel, freeing himself, but too late to remain mounted. He felt the sickening impact as his armor drove into the padding on his back.

"Your majesty!" he heard as General Glenstorm fought his way up to the king and pulled him up. "You are not in a state to fight."

"You're no use to us dead!" exclaimed Trumpkin. "And that's what you'll be, at this rate."

Peter shook off the centaur, but then paused and fell to the ground, pain shooting through his back. Glenstrom and Trumpkin were right; he had lost all control of himself and the army. They had passed completely through the Calmorene center. But now the Calmorene cavalry in the rear had formed up and what was left of their infantry was rallying around them, while those in the vanguard had tired of charging Caspian's immovable squares and were on their way to help their comrades. Edmund was everywhere, organizing the men to face the incoming enemy. All semblances of battalions had been lost, and it was a tribute to the training of the Narnian army that something resembling a solid front was reformed.

Peter felt like a helpless spectator again as the two masses of horses and men hurtled toward the Northerners. Dwarfish archers, who had finally caught up with the rest of the army, emptied the front lines of saddles but the enemy was too numerous. The two armies collided, and again it was man to man in the press of battle. Peter saw Alicia fighting and prayed quickly to Aslan for her safety. As Lady Glozelle and a member of the royal council, she felt she had a duty to lead her men-at-arms, and she knew that the other Telmarine lords would scoff if she didn't. Even old Lord Medina was present. Archenlanders and Narnians, man and beast, were fighting and dying while Peter sat helplessly, rendered useless by his own rage.

The battle did not last long, though. Caspian's men arrived shortly, and the Northerners advanced on all sides. Facing being surrounded, the Calmorenes broke and ran for the south. Those that were trapped quickly surrendered, beseeching mercy as they were tied up and led toward Anvard.

All that was left was tidying the battlefield. Mercifully few Northerners had fallen, fewer than a hundred in fact, but Peter felt the loss of every one bitterly. An idea that had been forming in his mind became more and more pressing.

**88888**

"What did you think?" asked Edmund as he rode up beside Alicia that evening, as the victors headed back toward Anvard and the camp that had been set up outside the city.

"You could be a little more specific," Alicia relied, not looking up.

"You're very pensive," remarked Edmund, "considering we just won a great battle."

"It was a slaughter, you mean."

Edmund's eyes widened. "Regrettable, of course, but necessary. Can you think of what they would have done, not just to Archenland but Narnia?"

"I don't mean us attacking them. It was them or us, and I understand that . What I mean is the way we did it. You saw the way Peter acted! The Archenlanders, our own men, everyone-ourselves." She sighed and looked at Edmund, who was staring at her with a puzzled expression. "We were doing it for revenge, Edmund. And did it help? They weren't even the same ones who sacked Anvard! Look at the Archenlanders. There's no joy in their hearts at this victory. Look at Peter-look at Peter…"

"You don't know the suffering of feeling responsible for your own people's deaths," Edmund replied slowly, picking his every word. "I don't understand, Alicia. You try to comfort Peter, and then blame him for the same emotions?"

Alicia saw the pain in Edmund's eyes and knew that he was remembering Jadis and Aslan. She wanted to remind him of her own sufferings, of how she had moved on and learned the meaning of friendship and life again. But it was something else that she said. In later years she never knew why she allowed herself to say it, but it was what had been on her mind for two years.

"I care for you all. I see your defects and try to correct them, but that doesn't mean they don't hurt me. And the worst of it is, you all are so proud that you don't understand when those closest to you are trying to save you." She pulled her horse away and rode back to her men.

Edmund didn't understand. He saw how Alicia tried to bring out the best in others, but what needed saving? And he knew, bitterly, that there were many things she herself was too proud or too willful to notice. He sighed and lapsed into silence as the road headed downward toward Anvard.

**88888**

It was that evening, in the candle-lit tent that served as their meeting-place, when Peter brought up his idea to other Narnian monarchs. "Calmoren will be back," he began. "It's either their economic stability or ours."

"After such a defeat?" scoffed Susan. "They'll surrender, logically."

"Yes, but those we defeated are only part of Calmoren's strength. They'll always have numbers on their side, and probably will hate us to the end of the world as well. We need something to turn the tables on them, something so drastic in our advantage they'll never attack us again, so that our people never have to die uselessly like that."

"I can think of two such advantages we already have," commented Edmund with a slight smile. "Plate armor and actual training."

Peter shot a glare at Edmund before continuing. "How about artillery and firearms? Anvard and Cair Paravel would be invulnerable! And today, when the Calmorene cavalry charged, just imagine if we had, not just archers, but artillery! Half of those we lost would have lived."

"I'm sure Aslan would not want that," Lucy immediately retorted. "One of the things that make Narnia special is that…"

She never had a chance to finish as Susan sensed an old debate resurfacing. "That's impossible. We don't even know how to produce gunpowder, do we?" she pointed out.

"Can't we figure out how? Do you want more of our people to die? Haven't we failed enough already?"

There was a dead silence. The dim candlelight flickered off four faces as they looked at Peter, worry in their eyes. "Killing Calmorenes faster won't solve the problem," Edmund said finally.

Lucy placed her hand on Peter's. "Aslan hasn't abandoned us, any more than when we were trapped in the How. Please, we're all hurting too; you haven't been yourself, and that isn't helping."

Peter had the sense to see how difficult it would be to move the others, and he hugged his little sister. "I have been jolly selfish, haven't I? Well, let's eat. I'm famished."

"King Nain has prepared a great feast," said Caspian, getting up and making for the door. Anything to get out of the suffocating atmosphere in the tent, he thought to himself. Besides, he was eager to talk with Susan, alone, to ask a question that death had so rudely delayed.

Peter smiled and got up with the others. But he never forgot. Lines from the one poem he had read by another who had seen the horrors of war, in the trenches and mud and machine guns of Flanders, kept ringing through his mind…"Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you'll never forget."

And he would do more than remember; he would act.

**88888**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24- Two More Years Later**

**88888**

"Su!" shouted Lucy, running into her sister's room, quite forgetting the dignity that befit an eighteen-year old queen. "Oh, and Caspian! Rilian just spoke!"

"Oh!" exclaimed Susan, standing up from the settee where she had been comfortably talking with Caspian. "What did he say?"

Lucy looked rather shamefaced. "Lucy," she admitted.

Caspian broke into a roar of laughter, then quickly restrained himself as he noticed Susan glaring at him. Suddenly she burst into a smile as well. "I suppose you probably spend more time with him than I do. I've been a horrible mother, haven't I?"

Lucy shook her head vigorously. "No, don't you even think that! You have more responsibilities than I do, so of course I should help with Rilian. And he's just so adorable I have to be with him all the time."

"Talking at a year!" Caspian exclaimed, still somewhat stunned. "He's inherited your intelligence, Susan."

"I just hope he hasn't also inherited all of our faults," Susan smiled, a slight twinkle in her eye. She knew exactly how Caspian would respond, and she enjoyed it.

"What faults? I see only goodness in you."

"Pride," admitted Susan.

"Oh, panache. He will be a magnificent king."

"Reckless abandon, like dear Lucy here."

Caspian shrugged. "Oh, I call it love of adventure. Though if he's like Lucy, then he'll have great faith in Aslan as well."

"Handsomeness." Susan struggled to suppress a smirk.

"That-that isn't a fault!"

"Well, it comes from you, so of course it is." Susan and Lucy burst into a merry laugh at this last barb, which was suddenly interrupted by Caspian leaping at his wife. Susan kept laughing as she raced around the room until Caspian finally caught up with her. A bear hug and a kiss atop her head silenced her, though.

"Seems like a King should have a little more dignity, eh, Caspian?" asked Edmund as he stepped into the room with Peter, Alicia trailing behind. High matters of state had been on their minds, but seeing the state of the other three, with Lucy doubled over on the settee laughing, drove all that away.

"At the moment, being a husband is a little more important to me," replied Caspian, straightening his face but still holding on to Susan, "especially since I will soon be leaving."

"Leaving?" exclaimed the others in unison.

Caspian sighed and prayed to Aslan that he would have the strength to finish his message, as frightened as he was. "Do you remember how I swore that, when Narnia was in order, I would sail to find the seven lords my uncle forced into exile? Well, we've beaten both the giants and the Calmorenes, Narnia is peaceful and integrated, and we're here, in a rebuilt Cair Paravel. And I have a beautiful wife and an heir to the throne. I can't put if off any longer."

The others knew he was right. They all had witnessed his oath, and knew that Caspian, whatever his faults, was a man of his word. "What about Rilian?" Susan asked finally. There was no question about the Gentle Queen herself going. Everyone knew that she preferred to stay in Cair Paravel, and she had to care for Rilian. "Surely you'll wait till he's older."

"It will be easier now, when he doesn't know me yet," replied Caspian. "I shall be back no later than a year and a day from when I set sail. I promise, my love."

"I'll go with you, " said Lucy impulsively. "Aslan gave me the eastern seas as my symbol, and I would love to finally sail them, and see what else He has gifted us with. If it's alright with all of you, of course."

"I don't see why not, if that's what you want," replied Peter for the others. "We'll miss you dearly, though, Lu. Both of you."

"When will you sail?" asked Alicia. "It will take a good time to prepare everything."

Caspian looked rather shamefaced. "In two weeks. I've asked Sir Drinian to recruit a crew and prepare provisions already. I'm sorry, but I felt it would be easier than having you know for months, and every day dragging by because we all dreaded the day of departure. And…and I felt it was better to not give myself an excuse to put it off further."

"You're a good man, Caspian. We forgive you-or I do, at least." Edmund looked toward Susan at these last words.

"I think we need some time alone," whispered Susan, pulling on Caspian's sleeve. "I forgive you too."

"We should leave them alone," said Alicia, smiling as she bowed and left the room. The others nodded and left Caspian and Susan to say and do the things they would not be able to for a year.

**88888**

"I wish I had somebody I could care for in the way Caspian and Susan love each other," Edmund confided to Lucy when they were alone in her room. "It seems so perfect."

Lucy looked worriedly at her brother. "You don't still have feelings for Alicia, do you?"

Edmund paused. "No," he finally said. "That passed a long time ago. Perhaps I'm just jealous, seeing the way Caspian and Susan interact, and how close Peter and Alicia have been since the last war."

He caught himself as he realized he had said more than he intended. "I shouldn't be bothering you with my love woes," he said. "Especially since you're going to be leaving in two weeks."

Lucy gave him a hard look but then shrugged. "I know, how will I ever be ready in two weeks? By the mane!"

Edmund laughed as Lucy pulled out a trunk. "I never understand how you girls can take two weeks to pack," he guffawed. This earned him a mouthful of silk as Lucy grabbed her pillow and pushed him down with it. "Fine, I surrender, " he gasped.

"It's not just packing," exclaimed Lucy. "I have to make arrangements for the household, find people to take care of all my hospitals, make sure somebody will continue building the shelter for orphaned squirrels in the Western Woods…" Lucy's mind was racing through all those she cared for faster than she could vocalize them. "And I can't even think about how enjoyable and romantic it should be!"

"I highly doubt you'll find any knights in shining armor in the wild east," grinned Edmund. "Well, maybe a gold-covered dragon."

"Fine! Get out! You're not helping!" exclaimed the flustered Lucy, pushing Edmund out the room. "Go do something useful."

"I could help you with packing," called out Edmund before the door slammed in his face. The smile faded from his face, but it was for another reason. Were his feelings so obvious to others?

He made his decision. He would not only try to not think of Alicia,; he would avoid her. All for sake of Peter and his family. Above all, Edmund wanted the Pevensies to remain as happy and united as they were at the moment.

**88888**

"Cast off!" Drinian shouted. "Raise anchor, and set the mainsail!"

Drinian was a man who had lived through adventures few would dream of. The second son of a minor Telmarine nobleman, he had known come to view Caspian as a protégé during his time at Beaversdam. Without the societal expectations placed on an eldest son, Drinian had travelled widely and imparted broad horizons on the young prince. His admiration of Caspian IX and hostile attitude toward Miraz eventually led to him being sent away by his father, though. With only a few coins in his pocket and the clothes on his back, he had turned to working on a Galmian ship, carrying passengers and goods between Galma and the mainland. Seeing the possibilities in insular navigation, he had worked his way up till he was able to buy his own ship. Within a few years, none were as experienced in sailing the waters between Glasswater and Galma and the Seven Isles. Though he spoke to few of what he did, there were legends that he had fought against everything from pirates to sea serpents to dragons, along with less savory tales of smuggling. In a culture where the sea was generally feared, Drinian was the type of whom legends were made.

When his father and older brother were killed, he had found himself lord of the Drinian estates, but wanderlust still consumed him and he refused to settle down. Caspian had not forgotten him, though, and when time came to build a Narnian navy he was the first choice to lead the work. Now he had been chosen for an even greater honor, one that carried great danger but which he relished.

He stood proudly with Caspian and Lucy and Lord Reepicheep and First Mate Rhince on the quarterdeck of the _Dawn Treader_, watching as his men went about their tasks quickly and efficiently. With a gentle lurch, the great ship left its dock and began to drift, toward the rising sun.

Caspian turned toward the disappearing shoreline and waved for a final time. He saw handkerchiefs being lifted in reply, and he could almost swear he heard his beloved son gurgling happily in Susan's arms. Narnia was perfect, he thought, as he set his face to the east.

**88888**

Several miles away, a man in fine garments almost smiled as his smiths finished their work. The iron forges were quiet for the moment; their work was complete.

**88888**

_**End of Part II of "The New World", Being "A World Rebuilt"**_

**88888**

Any opinion on whether, under the circumstances, Peter was justified in his decision concerning artillery last chapter? Frankly, I'm not quite decided myself.

Also, "Cosette 24601" has written a great Narnia story called "Holy Triduum and Easter" so please check it out! It has some fantastic links between Narnia and our own world.


	25. Chapter 25

_**Part III of "The New World," Being "A Brave New World"**_

_**~Edmund~**_

"The artist is best suited to deal with the false promises of revolutionaries, anarchists and builders of brave new worlds who share blind belief in a future opposed to all past ages."

_Richard Demarco_

**Chapter 25- Justice Is Blind**

**88888**

=A Year and a Day Later=

The storm clouds were gathering to the south and east, but at Cair Paravel it still felt like spring- spring with its exuberance and new life, when one could forget that there was such a thing as winter. The day was quiet, with most of the castle slumbering in the drowsiness of afternoon. But it was too good to last, Alicia thought as she strolled down to the grassy courtyard. Therefore, she was not entirely surprised when a door slammed and Edmund appeared, running for the stables.

"Where are you going?" Alicia called, passing a couple waking centaurs as she picked up her skirts and followed Edmund.

"Dock laborers are rioting in Glasswater," Edmund replied curtly. "It's hard to tell what's going on, but they went on strike yesterday. Lord Donnon doesn't want any help, of course, but one of my agents sent word that rioting has started as well."

"You aren't going to take any guards?"

Edmund paused. Clearly, the idea had never even crossed his mind. "I go to my people, not simply as a king, but as _their_ king," he said finally. "The royal prestige is such that we have never been attacked by our own people."

"Well, then I'll go with you at least. We've talked far too little recently."

"I know," Edmund muttered as he helped Alicia mount her father's old Pomely. Ever since the conversation with Lucy, he had been trying to avoid Alicia. It had been easy enough when she was away caring for the Glozelle family estates through the harvest and the winter, but now that she was visiting Cair Paravel again it was harder and harder. At least she hadn't seemed to notice till then…

"Did you know that many of the dwarves have started wearing glasses as well?" Alicia went on as they rode at a fast trot for the city of Glasswater, ten miles to the south. Edmund's eyesight had been getting worse recently, so he had asked some of the Beaversdam dwarves to make eyeglasses for him. And to the dismay of Lord Trumpkin, many of the younger dwarves had liked and adopted the look. "I had no idea how much they looked up to you."

"Maybe the glasses will set their perspectives right," grumbled Edmund, still not looking at Alicia.

"It seems that it was your sight that needed help," teased the girl. Edmund actually smiled this time at having been outdueled. "You need to spend less time with your court cases and spreadsheets," she continued. "It's not healthy. I mean, we've barely talked this spring!"

"It's easier this way," Edmund mumbled. "I mean, of course I want to talk to you!" he exclaimed, catching himself. In his surprise he pulled back on the reins, causing his horse to stop suddenly. It took a moment to settle back in and adjust his glasses. "It's all the fault of you Telmarines, you know."

Alicia was still laughing at Edmund's discomfiture and how funny he looked, pushing his glasses back up his nose with one hand while trying to guide his horse around a bend in the road with the other. "How is that?" she asked between gasps.

"Oh, bother!" Edmund exclaimed. "Here we are, laughing while Glasswater riots. Let's go!"

Both galloping, they reached Glasswater within a few minutes. Under Lord Donnon's leadership, the city had grown immensely. Before, it had been a quiet town, occupied mainly by Donnon's retainers and by laborers who serviced the castle set above the city. There had only been a small dock for the few vessels that arrived from Galma and Calmoren. But now Glasswater was the third-largest city in Narnia, after Beaversdam and Cair Paravel, and much of the foreign trade passed through its ever-growing docks. Lord Donnon had certainly prospered, and so had the creatures and Telmarines who arrived to take advantage of the new jobs.

But discontent was beginning to arise. First it had been objections to the unfamiliarly long hours. Then it had been complaints about the monotony of the strange new labor, and now this. Dozens of workers had gathered in front of a platform in the town square, where Edmund and Alicia could see Donnon standing, flanked by a few guards. Whatever his faults, Donnon was no coward. But tact was not one of his virtues, and the crowd was clearly becoming more and more agitated as he spoke. An occasional tomato (for Narnians did not throw eggs) flew through the air.

Suddenly, some of the workers noticed the new arrivals and the word quickly spread. Alicia was certainly proud of the impression that Edmund made. Shouts passed through the crowd: "The Just! It's King Edmund! Bow, you fools!"

Edmund was not admired as a charismatic leader or a brave commander like Peter was. But the people loved his honesty and fairness, and how he sympathized with their needs and sufferings. What had been a mob on the verge of violence quickly settled down, and a bow rippled through the crowd.

"My people!" he cried, jumping onto the platform to stand beside Donnon. "What is the meaning of this? Why aren't you at your tasks?"

There was some whispering towards the front of the crowd, and then a stag stepped forward. "With respects, your majesty, we think the promotion system is unfair."

Edmund furrowed his eyebrows in surprise. Amidst all the complaints they had heard over the past five years, this was a first. "And why is that?"

"It's all fauns and humans being promoted!" exclaimed a bear, and a murmur of agreement and indignation passed through the crowd.

"It's not intentional," explained Donnon, "But that has been the case. The problem is that they're the only ones who can read and write! Bills of lading, receipts, the instruments of a modern economy…these require education!"

There was more grumbling and some boos from the crowd. Edmund was puzzled. A school had been opened in Glasswater two years before for the Talking Animals. Then inspiration struck him.

"Oscuns," he called to a faun whom he remembered from Aslan's How and who had been appointed headmaster at the school. "How many students are enrolled in the new school?"

"Thirty-seven," answered the faun proudly.

"And how many are fauns?"

Oscuns shifted nervously under the king's gaze. "Thirty-one," he stammered. But then he looked up. "Your majesty," he said, "it's impossible to accommodate everybody. For example, how is a horse supposed to grasp a pen?"

Edmund set his face. He could not show them that, as much as he hated it, the faun had a point. But hundreds of eyes were on him, expecting him to make an extraordinarily wise and just decision. He could almost feel a glint of laughter in Donnon's eyes at his discomfiture. And yet he was only a man, Aslan's appointed ruler to be sure, but still mortal.

"My people, did anybody force you to take these jobs?" Edmund finally said. Fantastic, he thought sarcastically, he was beginning to sound like Peter, with his speeches. "Do you have enough to eat and provide for your families, in far greater comfort than what you had in the forests?" There was a shaking of heads at the first question and nodding at the second. Edmund then turned to Oscuns. "Are you aware that we have been manufacturing attachments for one and two fingered animals, which they can use to hold a pen? I shall have a supply shipped to you, and I want the school expanded. No student is to be turned away because of his species; and with education, promotions will certainly follow. Let there be no more complaints, and let there be no reason for complaints."

A loud cheer came from the crowd, and even Donnon had to grudgingly clap. "A fine speech, your majesty," he said. "I am sure that there will be no more reason for you to go to the trouble of coming here."

"I hope and pray so, my lord," Edmund responded as he left the platform. "For all of our sakes."

**88888**

The seagull floated gracefully across the sky, a spot of white against the darkening heavens. Suddenly, with a mournful caw, it dove down after some unseen prey. It was quickly out of sight behind a cliff, its glimmer of brightness having been erased from the sky.

"Those birds never cease to fascinate me," remarked Edmund from his mount. The cliffs between Cair Paravel and Glasswater had a rugged beauty to them, still unspoiled by settlement or soot. "I used to come out here often, during our Golden Age, and just watch them for hours. I could think ever so clearly then, away from all the bustle of court. Things were very different…it can't be the same way for you, but I can feel the difference. It comes with living in two different ages of the world, I suppose."

"It must have been heavenly in your Golden Age, then," commented Alicia. "Almost too good to be true. I just live in this moment, and I think it's fantastic." She looked worriedly at Edmund. "Isn't it beautiful now, though? What is different?"

Edmund sighed. "I suppose I've lost a lot of innocence since then. You know the faun had a point, don't you? But I had to stand there like a politician and try to satisfy everybody." He laughed bitterly. "The people love and admire me? It makes me sick. Those attachments? They're ludicrous! Alicia, is what I'm doing really right for the people?"

"Of course! You saw how they reacted. You will always be the Just, Edmund, no matter what you think. "

"You're right about trying to be the Just. But who can say if what I think to be just is really so?"

"Frankly, I like you far more when you're free of this ridiculous self-loathing," grumbled Alicia. "You're worse than I ever was."

"I fear, my lady, that your problem has always been exactly the opposite," Edmund could not resist saying. "I seem to recall you loathing everybody besides yourself."

Alicia blushed at the memory. "Too true," she admitted. "I suppose it's good to be reminded of one's faults every now and then, and you're the only one who will do that for me. As long as it doesn't turn into that dratted self-hatred- ahem, Edmund."

Alicia stopped when she noticed Edmund was staring at the crashing waves with a far-away expression. "It's good to see you smile, but is something wrong with you?" she finally asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all," lied Edmund. "Just my duties."

"Your majesty is certainly aware I can see that you're lying," Alicia said, with banter in her tone but a deep worry within. She had no idea how much this hurt.

"Of course, my lady," Edmund said with a forced smile. Thank Aslan that Alicia was too blind to see what should have been obvious, he thought. She was intelligent, she was perceptive, but when it came to seeing that she was loved she was blinder than the proverbial Archen mole.

Alicia shook her head but played along. Once again, Edmund's meaning had eluded her. "Earlier, you said it was the fault of us Telmarines that you are always shut up like a beaver or…" Alicia remembered that beavers were quite dear to the Pevensies. "Or like a…like an Edmund. Just like you."

"It's your legal code," laughed Edmund, remembering his prepared excuse. "It puts Pulverulentus Siccus and his twelve volumes of grammar to shame. We're still finding laws one king or another would decide to put into effect on a whim, and they all have to be read and either repealed or put into a proper book before somebody takes advantage of them. So that's been my focus these past few months." A focus of his own making, Edmund did not add. He had no idea how important this would become in a matter of weeks.

"Who would want to dig through all those papers?" Alicia asked.

"There's an old story," reminisced Edmund, "of a student in one of our oldest English schools, Cambridge, who found an old, forgotten rule stating that students were entitled to a glass of sherry during examinations. He demanded it, law in hand, and got it. But who knows? Maybe someone will find something more serious and dangerous. It's part of my job to make sure that doesn't happen."

"What happened to the student?" asked Alicia.

"He was fined for not wearing a sword to the examination, which was another old rule," Edmund replied with a broad smile. "What's the matter?" he added, noticing Alicia leaning forwards to look around him.

"Isn't it court protocol for a king to wear a sword in public?" she asked. "Not that I care for said protocol, of course."

Edmund reached down to his side with a start. "Your dratted Telmarine protocol, which we've been forced to adopt," he shot back before bursting into a laugh. Aslan, it was too pleasant to be with Alicia…

"What is that?" asked Alicia suddenly. The sounds of a slight commotion in the town square floated in on a faint breeze.

"Sounds like the cavalry has arrived," scowled Edmund, putting a spur to his horse.

**88888**

_Notice the connection between the conversation Edmund and Lucy had in Chapter 18, Edmund's eyeglasses, and the title of this chapter?_

_And a little preview from Chapter 36 (the last chapter of this section):_

_**88888**_

"_Your majesty!" Edmund heard shouted as he rode slowly back towards the castle. Turning, he saw a rather grubby little boy, looking up at him with an expression of awe._

"_I've always wanted to see you," the little boy continued. "My mum says I should want to be like you when I grow up, the Just."_

_The king dismounted and cupped the boy's face in his hands. "My boy, you don't have to spend your whole life watching for somebody like me. Look around yourself for models, and you'll find them a-plenty. But tell your mum that when you grow up, you'll be a fine man."_

_Edmund remained crouched there in the street as the boy joyfully scampered off. The boy was innocent; it would be some years before he knew the truth. Even the crows- no, especially the crows- seemed to mock that title now. "The Just," Edmund whispered. "There's nothing left of him."_

_**88888**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26- It Has Arrived**

**88888**

"Sounds like the cavalry has arrived," muttered Edmund, putting a spur to his horse. He had recognized the distinctive clatter of hooves on cobblestone.

Sure enough, it was Peter with a troop of centaurs and cheetahs drawn up in the town square. But by then the crowd had completely dispersed, and only a few citizens remained to lounge and watch the puzzled troops.

"No need to worry," called Edmund, riding hard into the square with Alicia behind. "Everything's been settled, for now."

"Was there any danger to the Lady Glozelle?" Peter asked worriedly. "That was reckless of you, Alicia. And Edmund! You went to face a mob unarmed and unescorted? And allowed Alicia to go with you? What in the name of Aslan possessed you?"

Alicia interrupted before Edmund could respond. "It really wasn't a mob, just protesting citizens. And Lord Donnon had troops ready in case of trouble. I wanted to come, Peter; and it's hardly fair to blame Edmund when he was responsible for settling the dispute, singlehandedly."

Peter nodded but still looked angry. "Ed, I'll expect a full report later. Sir Greydell, lead the troop back to Cair Paravel. And thank you for your services. A bowl of ale for each one of you, for your trouble."

"Your majesty," said the centaur before giving a great cheer that was echoed by the rest of the soldiers as they turned and galloped or ran back toward the distant walls of Cair Paravel.

"Sorry you had to come here for nothing," said Edmund, lounging on the horn of his saddle and looking wistfully at the troop flying back to the castle.

"Oh, it really wasn't nothing," exclaimed Peter. "As a matter of fact, I was looking for the Lady Glozelle. Um, would you mind leaving us alone, Ed?"

"Certainly," said Edmund, bowing slightly. "I've spent far too much time away from my other duties." He noticed that Peter had not thanked him, but didn't care at the moment. He had enjoyed the afternoon greatly, but feared that he would want another one. Too much time alone with Alicia…it was dangerous. It was far better to not even have to think about her, for his brother's sake and for her sake.

But Alicia was certainly not helping. "Don't dig too deep into your cave of papers," she called as he galloped away. "We'll have to come out here again, soon."

"What was that about?" asked Peter as he leaned in to kiss Alicia. The two had been courting since the fall, though only Edmund and Susan knew. It would not do for the other councilors to have reason to question his or her impartiality; it seemed that the council would never be free of squabbles and factions.

Alicia laughed. "I've been trying to pry him away from his work. It's not healthy for him, to be shut up all day."

"Indeed. But what about you? You've been shut up in that gloomy old castle of yours all winter!"

"A house is only as gloomy as its inhabitants," shot back Alicia, "and I try to ensure that my people have no reason for gloom."

"I just don't see how that's possible in that edifice. Why don't you let me build you a new house? One with running water, electricity, a modern Narnian home…or you could just move to Cair Paravel."

Alicia shook her head. "Do you remember how you once talked of chivalry as serving others? Well, as a feudal overlord I have to think of my people first. They've lived on and farmed the same land for generations, and to move will tear them apart. And I know that, first and foremost, you think of the people." Or at least the Peter she _wanted_ to know and admire did...

"Chivalry…" Peter said half-blankly, as if struggling to recall the meaning of the word. But his mind had already swept back to a bright afternoon five years earlier. So much had changed in those five years…it was a darker, smokier Narnia now, but it was a modern Narnia. And he was satisfied with his work; chivalry had become almost an afterthought. But Alicia was right about one thing. The people were first in his mind; he wanted a people that would live in a modern, industrialized Narnia, one that Aslan would not and could not take them away from.

"Then it's settled; I'll have new houses built on your land; they will look exactly the same as the old ones, but be modern! I'm sure that your people…and you especially…will love them." This was not a suggestion but a statement, and Alicia knew that it would be hopeless to argue. And so the conversation drifted to other subjects, until Alicia noticed Peter staring at the crashing waves. Two brothers, so different and yet so similar, she thought…

"I was just thinking," said Peter, noticing her questioning look, "of how all our electricity is produced by burning coal or wood to produce steam, which turns turbines. But look at how fast those waves are coming in and out! Don't you see? We could use the power of the sea itself to drive the turbines! Just imagine, miles of turbines along this empty shoreline, inexhaustibly powering both Cair Paravel and Glasswater…"

"That's brilliant!" exclaimed Alicia. She was not generally demonstrative, but Peter's ingenuity and drive never ceased to amaze her. But then she remembered a very recent conversation. "Edmund won't be happy, though."

"Edmund? What about him?"

"He loves how peaceful it is here. Apparently he comes here a good deal to think."

Peter brushed this off. "Oh, I'm sure Edmund won't object when I bring it up with him." And they both knew this was true.

A rather uncomfortable silence ensued, Peter trying to think of how to direct the conversation back towards another matter and Alicia pondering Peter's new idea. It was almost to their relief that a mighty shout intervened.

"What news, Sir Greydell?" asked Peter, turning to the arrival. "You look as if you'd run straight back here from the palace."

"Indeed, your majesty," gasped the centaur. "I would not pass by the honor of informing your majesty of this news. The _Dawn Treader_ has been sighted, bearing southwards along the coast from Galma towards Cair Paravel! Their majesties have surely returned!"

Peter smiled. "That is reason enough to be excited. Come, my good and loyal centaur, let us return speedily to the castle and welcome them. Your draught shall be most well deserved."

"The honor is all mine, your majesty."

And so Peter followed the centaur and the Telmarine back towards Cair Paravel. The question he had been planning to ask Alicia would have to wait.

**88888**

The homecoming of a Narnia monarch was quite a spectacle. First marshwiggles and Talking Rats secured the ship to the marble quay and laid a gang-plank to the shore, then musicians burst into a triumphal fanfare. A troop of the Royal Guard presented arms, and there was a great deal of waving of handkerchiefs from the crowd. The whole castle, from Queen Susan to visiting lords to the scullery-maids, was waiting and cheering madly. Finally, preceded by a sergeant carrying the Royal Sword of Telmar and followed by the merry Duke, Captain Drinian, four strangers, and the officers and crew, Caspian and Lucy stepped down the gangplank.

All this Peter and Alicia saw and heard in the distance as they galloped around the castle, past the great Northern Gate, and through the orchard and green lawn to the dock. By the time they arrived, the two returning monarchs had been surrounded by the crowd and it was with difficulty that the two made their way to the middle, where the rest of the family was being reunited.

I shall not attempt to describe the scene, for the reunion of a family is beyond any mortal words. Let it simply be said that there was doubtless no happier family in Narnia at the moment, especially as Caspian was reunited with his wife and son. But finally they remembered that there was a crowd, and other greetings to be made.

"And let me introduce our new companions," Caspian exclaimed, turning to the four strangers. "The Lord Argoz, the Lord Revilian, and the Lord Mavramorn, Lords of Telmar."

"We have no intention of taking your seats on the Council," Argoz said to Lord Alba when he reached the very uncomfortable Telmarine. "We are home, and we are content with that."

The fourth was a young man, looking around himself in wonder and looking very awkward amidst the splendor and finery. "Eustace!" Susan finally exclaimed.

And Eustace it was, though it was a different Eustace from the one they had once known. For one, he was older now; Edmund realized with a shudder that they were now almost the same age. Time must have passed more quickly on Earth… Also, he was far fitter and tanner than the old Eustace. Sea-air and hard work had clearly done him good.

"Hullo," he said extending his hand. "I don't know what else I can say, seeing you actually monarchs and all," he added when it was not taken. 'You do know you're supposed to be dead, back home."

"Eustace has changed greatly for the better," interjected Lucy. "I am quite glad now to have him as a kinsman. But come, let us return to the palace before everybody catches cold!"

And indeed, it was beginning to rain. So further conversation was put off until they were all in a sitting room in the palace, with Eustace, Drinian, and Alicia and the lords seated around the royals.

And it was quite a tale that Caspian and Lucy told, with an occasional word from Drinian and the four newcomers. How they picked up Eustace and how he was changed for the better was told. All of their adventures on the way to the world's end were told, and of how Reepicheep and Rhoop had at last gone to Aslan's Country.

"Peepicheek is now Head Mouse and will take his lord's seat on the Council," Caspian explained.

"And what about you, Eustace?" Susan asked. "So Aslan allowed you to remain?"

Eustace nodded. "He gave me a choice. Now I see how beautiful it is, I couldn't pass by seeing more of Narnia. I suppose Aslan has some mission for me since I'm staying, but he didn't say what it was."

"Well, welcome, welcome!" exclaimed Peter. "We're glad to have you here." "Now," he added under his breath.

"Thanks," Eustace said simply. "Well, I hear you're bringing Narnia up-to-date. I'm looking forward to seeing what has been done."

Peter smiled broadly. "As a matter of fact, we finished building two steamships last month!"

"Steamships!" exclaimed Eustace. "You mean to say all that rowing…"

"What did you name them?" Lucy interrupted hurriedly.

"Invincible and Inflexible."

Caspian frowned. "Those names don't sound very Narnian," he said rather meekly. Alicia also frowned, but it was for another reason. Caspian had been very much in command when he first landed, but already he seemed to be retreating back into his old, comfortable shell.

"They aren't," affirmed Peter. "Invincible and Inflexible were two British ships that won a great victory over the Germans." The Pevensies had long before explained to Caspian what a German was, though some of those who remembered the stories from the Golden Age couldn't understand how two peoples could be fighting the same war for thirteen hundred years.

"Well, pray continue with your adventures," Susan exclaimed.

"Well, there isn't much more to be told," admitted Caspian. "We wintered at Ramandu's Island and then caught a fair wind for home and dear family, and were feasted and feted at Galma by our dear Duke. But how does Narnia fare?"

"There's been…" Edmund began.

"The kingdom fares very well," interrupted Peter. "An occasional disturbance, but for the most part as peaceful as when you left."

Edmund nodded, not wanting to contradict his brother. "There is also a vacancy on the council," he added. "Lord Medina passed away."

Caspian nodded. "We regret his loss," he said to the lords, a couple of whom smirked knowingly at the kings' level tone. "But I know the perfect man to take his place. Lord Drinian, your conduct and advice on this voyage have both been excellent and deserving of a reward. From henceforth, you will be a councilor of Narnia."

"Your majesty overwhelms me," Drinian said, kneeling before Caspian and reciting the ancient formula, one which had its origins in the very beginning of Narnia and which all those present would be called upon to remember in the coming months. "May I bear this title with honor, as befitting a lord of Narnia. May I always place Aslan and His people above myself. May I rule my subjects kindly and fairly, remembering that they are Talking Beasts, kinsmen of Telmar, and free subjects. May I be just and merciful and brave. May I, if enemies come against this land, be first in the charge and last in the retreat. So help me Aslan."

"There is another who must be honored especially," added Caspian, after affably helping Drinian to his feet. "While sailing past Terebinthia, we were attacked by two pirate ships. But we were saved by both the courage of the crew and the ingenuity of one man. Eustace, what was that concoction you developed again?"

"Gunpowder."

**88888**

_I will have changed my pen name to "ResOmnesBeneFacere" by the next update._


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27-Gunpowder**

**88888**

=1949, Cambridge, England=

"Have you seen Eustace?"

"Hmm?" Harold Scrubb replied, folding up his _Guardian_ with a sigh.

"You should have your ears examined," grumbled Alberta as she took the paper from her surprised husband's hands. "I asked if you've seen Eustace."

"I heard you the first time. No need to get worked up, Alberta. He's upstairs in the spare bedroom."

Alberta nodded. "Well, at least he hasn't gone off with that girl…what was her name, Jill Pole? I just hope that he does something productive this summer."

"He hasn't talked to her for years now." But his wife was already deep in the paper, and Harold wondered why he had allowed her to take it from him. "Did you see the plastics he brought back with him from university?" he finally asked. "He and his professor have been synthesizing lighter, stronger polymers. The future is in those materials, not glass or metal, mark my words."

"We made the right choice in making him study chemistry." Alberta set down the paper; but to Harold's annoyance, kept it firmly in her lap. "He'll be a success in life. Now, if only my deceased nephews and nieces could have been like him…they might have thought of doing something useful in life, instead of spending all their time dreaming and fantasizing."

"_My_ nephew Peter was studying engineering," Harold pointed out, trying to remind Alberta that the four had been family as well. "He would have gone far, too. Once he set his mind on something, nothing could stop him. Peter was sensible, unlike his siblings. Pity he died so young."

There was a dull thud from upstairs, interrupting the rare conversation. Alberta stood up, trying to determine the origin of the sound, and Harold took advantage of the distraction to retrieve the paper.

"What is that dratted boy doing? Eustace!"

**88888**

=Royal Shipyard of Cair Paravel=

The sailors were all burly fellows- they had to be, to set a jib, turn a windlass, or toss a block and tackle. Some were Galmans who had spent all their lives with the smell of salt in their nostrils. Others were army veterans who saw more opportunity for advancement in the nascent naval wing of the military, or Narnians who simply wanted to see the sea. But a journey to the end of the world had bonded them together, and made them all true seamen. Now six of them were heaving grenades in great arcs across a field. Peter had already dubbed them as the "Narnian Grenadier Guards."

The grenades were simple-canvas sacks filled with gunpowder, with metal bits and wood chips mixed in and a piece of frayed rope serving as a fuse. The powder itself was coarse, spotted with chunks of charcoal that the mortars and pestles had missed. But all the same, judging from the effect that they were having on the canvas and wood targets, it had been good enough.

"You may stop throwing," Caspian finally told the sailors. "Those devices shredded the pirates' rigging and sails," he told the other monarchs and lords enthusiastically. "And cleared their decks of men, too. It was a simple matter to board them afterwards. The cravens were so frightened that they surrendered immediately. And all thanks to Eustace here."

"This can revolutionize warfare here," Donnon said with intense interest, though after years of training an impassive façade concealed his emotion.

Susan looked at Eustace with some puzzlement. "I thought you were a pacifist?" she asked, though this was more of a statement.

The young man shrugged. "I _was_," he noted. "I suppose when I realized that nobody was going to take me off the_ Dawn Treader_, and after being a dragon and all, I decided I'd make myself useful. Especially after seeing those primitives in Narrowhaven, too. So I thought this would be a better way to protect ourselves. There's plenty of saltpeter and sulfur in some of the caves we passed, and it was no problem obtaining charcoal. And from there it was simply knowing the ratio in which to mix them. It…I'd read it in some book and managed to remember it."

"And well that you did," exclaimed Caspian and Drinian.

Eustace nodded. "Almost all our store is gone, though. It still needs perfecting as well. Some of it blew up while still on the _Dawn Treader_ and injured three of our own men, I'm sorry to say."

"But you landfolk should have seen what it did to the enemy…" shouted Rynelf, and then all the men wanted to tell of their part in the battle.

"What do you think?" Edmund asked Lucy when nobody was paying them any attention amidst the ribald shouting and boasting.

"That saved our lives," the young woman said back.

Edmund stared at his sister. "You know what, in the wrong hands, that can do. You know what Uncle Jack and Uncle Harold had to face in the last war and what Dad is facing in the current war on Earth, or was when we left. You know…"

"Yes, I know," Lucy snapped, before continuing in a quieter voice but one still quaking with emotion. "Edmund, I'm tired of fighting. I've fought every step of the way for the past five years. And yes, I know that now Peter has someone who can make gunpowder he will try to utilize it. Why don't you show some backbone for a change and try to stop it yourself? Then you'll know how I've felt this past half-decade." And with that she flounced around to talk with Trumpkin.

A harsh word came to Edmund's lip but he swallowed it. Lucy was becoming a woman again, but it was different from last time. With a more distant Susan and no Tumnus and Mrs. Beaver to influence her, it was a harsher, colder steel emerging. Not even an orphan alone on the streets should have to face this, he thought, let alone his sister. But what could he do? He faced the same dilemma. It was a cruel twist of fate, he thought, that in a crowded court the two of them had to feel alone.

Edmund finally cleared his throat and spoke up. "I believe that we should refrain from producing any more gunpowder until it has the approval of all us royals, and the council. What do you think, Peter?"

To his surprise and relief, Peter did not object. "If you so wish," he replied. "As a matter of fact, I was thinking of an entirely different matter, what would be a fitting title for Eustace. Caspian, there has been no overlord in Beaversdam since we moved here to Cair Paravel. Would it not be a fitting title for our kinsman?"

"Earl of Beaversdam would indeed be fitting," agreed Caspian.

'Oh, gosh!" Eustace exclaimed. "Earl of Beaversdam!" But then his smile faded. "Isn't that…undemocratic?"

The Pevensies burst into a roar of laughter at this before Peter raised his hand for silence. "What do you think this is, the United States?" Edmund exclaimed.

"The nobility here isn't as snobbish as you've been taught," whispered Lucy more kindly. "Every one must take an oath, as you saw Drinian do, that he will always put his people, and Aslan, first."

"Well, in that case- thank you, Peter."

**88888**

=Palace of Cair Paravel=

The High King stepped quietly along the corridors, listening to the hum of different voices from the sitting rooms. He finally caught the one he was looking for, and one other. The rise and fall of two very energetic voices drew him in, though the attraction each voice had for him was quite different.

"Smashing conversation," Peter commented as he stepped into the room with a smile. "But could you come with me, Eustace? We need to have a talk, alone, about your duties as future Lord of Beaversdam. Alicia, you don't mind?"

"You're the king."

And so Eustace followed Peter along various corridors across the castle, to a great oaken door where a faun stood guard. The sentry snapped to attention as the two passed, then swung the door shut with a resounding thud.

Eustace thought he must have entered Peter's private office, but to his surprise they were only in another corridor. It was magnificent, to be sure, with ornate wood paneling and suits of armor in the corners, but still only a corridor. He shook his head in confusion, but followed Peter down the corridor and into a small antechamber, where two more guards- Telmarines, bearing the coat-of-arms of the Lord Donnon- stood watch at another door. And this time it was indeed Peter's office that they entered.

But the first thing that Eustace noticed was a pair of boots- or rather, the soles of boots. Lord Donnon was seated at a table facing them, studying his wineglass and with his feet resting firmly on the tabletop.

"I hope the security precautions were to your liking," he said as the two entered, without taking his eyes off his glass, though he took his feet off the table. "I also have two loyal men outside the window."

"Excellent, Donnon," exclaimed Peter as he sat down and motioned to Eustace to do the same. "And the tapestries should deaden the sound as well."

"What is the meaning of all this?" asked Eustace, now absolutely bewildered. "I thought that this was your house."

Peter, in answer, passed Eustace a decanter of wine and a pitcher of water. "And so it is, for me at least. Lord Donnon lives a few miles away, in the city of Glasswater, but he has been my most trusted advisor for years."

"That's Archen wine, my lord. You have to mix it with water," interjected the Telmarine with a glimmer in his eyes resembling amusement as Eustace looked back and forth between the decanter and the pitcher. "The problem is that we will be discussing weighty matters that, in the wrong hands, could be dangerous for Narnia."

"In the wrong hands? But isn't everybody here Narnian?"

"Or so they all say." Donnon shrugged and took another sip of wine.

Peter placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "You'll have to learn, Eustace, that there are two types of people in Narnia. One type would want us to live in a nostalgic world that no longer exists. Just imagine the Dark Ages in our world, but with people who _want_ it to continue. Regardless of how much people would suffer, they prefer that everybody live without electricity, or engines, or refrigeration or any modern conveniences…"

"Lord Alba is the worst of these," supplied Donnon. "Pass the decanter, that's a good chap."

Peter nodded gravely. "There are others, though. Unfortunately, my dear sister Lucy is one as well, as you may have noticed. Just try to stay away from them, eh? But most people are a sensible sort- Susan, and Lady Glozelle, and most of the lords. Edmund can be made to see reason as well. And Donnon here is the most sensible chap of them all. Donnon, did I ever tell you what Machiavelli said about…"

"Well, that's fine and well," exclaimed Eustace, 'But what's the meaning of all this? It's not like I want to return to the Middle Ages or something horrid like that."

"You see," continued Peter, "there's always the danger of all that we've built crashing down. The Calmorenes are always threatening to invade, for example. I'm sure they would like nothing more than to raze all our factories and the civilization we've built. And some in Narnia itself would doubtless be cheering as it burned. But you, Eustace, have the knowledge to prevent that."

Eustace began to stand up. "Now, if this is some sort of joke…"

"You are the only one who knows how to produce that substance," Donnon quickly interjected. "Powder of the gum, I believe you call it?"

"Gunpowder," supplied Peter. "Eustace, we need you to make gunpowder. In secret, till we have a chance to show its power to the whole nation, so the council doesn't have a chance to stop it. Beaversdam is out of the way now, so nobody with authority over you but us will know. Donnon can have the sulfur and saltpeter sent to you; he owns almost all our merchant shipping, so picking it up will be a small matter. With an advantage like gunpowder, Narnia would never fall. And you, Eustace, could be its savior."

Eustace sat back down, his mind still processing all that he had just heard. "Gunpowder," he whispered, trying to think of all the implications. "You're not still a pacifist, are you?" asked Peter with a frown. The old Eustace would have jumped at being complimented as a possible savior, but he had indeed changed.

"No, but…"

"But what?"

To tell the truth, Eustace didn't know. He felt overwhelmed, and the unfamiliar wine was beginning to go to his head. Something in the back of his mind told him to say no, but he could not formulate why. Besides, Peter had been the kindest to him of all his cousins. There was one question he could remember, though.

"Why? Why does it matter to you, Peter, personally?"

Peter shook his head at the memories. "Three years ago, Eustace, Calmoren invaded and nearly wiped out Archenland. We rode to the rescue and defeated their army. But I still remember, Eustace. I remember every hacked and mutilated body in Anvard. I remember those proud walls, charred and ruined. I remember every soldier that we lost, buried in that lonely desert, never to see the green valleys of home again. None of them had to die- none of them would have, if we had gunpowder then."

"It's all for the people, then."

"Yes, Eustace. For Narnia and its people."

"And you, my lord Donnon?"

The Telmarine smiled slightly. "I serve the realm," he answered. "I serve Narnia. I take it you will do this?"

"Yes…but what's the use without artillery? It's one thing to throw it from one ship to another. If you want to use this in a battlefield—not that I would know about that, but sensibly…"

Donnon actually smiled. "We already have artillery. I've had six pieces produced just in case…at great personal cost, I might add. It was all the money that your cousin the king, and I could spare without raising suspicion."

"All we needed was the gunpowder," concluded Peter, "and then you arrived. Sent by Aslan, surely."

**88888**


	28. Part III Summary

So, I won't be continuing to write this story. There are two reasons. First, I lost enthusiasm for it. This was in turn mainly the result of realizing how contrived and flawed the story was. It was my first fanfiction, and I've learned a great deal from the mistakes I made in it. However, I think I owe it to all who have followed and favorited this story to let you know how the rest of the plot would have gone. I apologize to anybody who hoped for more, and hope that this will serve in its place.

I will give a rundown of what's happened in the story so far in Parts I, II, and III, and then what was planned for the rest of Part III with scenes that I'd already written italicized. Summaries of Parts IV and V will also be posted eventually.

* * *

><p>In Part I, "Alicia, A World Shattered," Alicia is on a mission from her father, General Glozelle, to deliver a message to the Duke of Galma and Lord Donnon. She's ambushed by a party of Narnians and brought back to the How. Eventually her prejudices against Narnians are broken by the Pevensies, especially Edmund, and she decides to stay in Narnia when her father leaves. The Pevensies are also allowed to stay by Aslan.<p>

In Part II, "Peter, A World Rebuilt," Alicia deals with being the new Lady Glozelle. She's invited by Caspian to take her father's seat on the council, which is also refilled with Old Narnians. Peter, convinced that Aslan has allowed them to stay for a specific purpose, determines to industrialize Narnia. Though the other monarchs are reluctant, Peter manages to sway most of the council, including Alicia. Edmund decides not to stand against his brother, and Peter wins. Alicia is very impressed with Peter's ideas and a bond forms between the two. A few years later, Narnia is becoming a modern, industrialized country. The idyllic life is shattered when word comes that Calormen, by using slaves as water-carriers, has managed to cross the desert and sacked Anvard. The Narnian army defeats an army of Calormene reinforcements and saves Archenland and Narnia, but Peter is greatly affected by devastation at Anvard and determines to make Narnia so powerful that it will never happen again. The part closes with Caspian and Susan having married, and Caspian and Lucy preparing to sail on the Dawn Treader.

In Part III, "Edmund, A Brave New World," Edmund diplomatically deals with tensions that are starting to rise from the industrialization. Then Caspian and Lucy return with Eustace in tow. With all the butterflies from the Pevensies staying in Narnia, he's now a college student studying chemistry. Peter quickly realizes that Eustace knows how to manufacture gunpowder, and manipulates him into agreeing to manufacture gunpowder. Peter and Donnon have already been secretly trying to build cannon; they just need the gunpowder. Peter believes that this is necessary for Narnia's security and for the good of its people. A feast is held to celebrate the return of the Dawn Treader's crew.

* * *

><p>The main characters at this point are:<p>

-The rulers of Narnia:

-PETER, High King of Narnia

-CASPIAN and SUSAN, married with issue RILIAN. Caspian has been effectively sidelined in running Narnia by Peter.

-EDMUND

-LUCY

-The Telmarine members of their royal council:

-Lady ALICIA GLOZELLE, a close friend with the royal family

-The DUKE OF GALMA, a portly, fun-loving man believed to be controlled by his friend Donnon

-Lord DONNON, whose castle is near Cair Paravel and who controls most of the foreign trade that has resulted from the industrialization

-Lord ALBA, a dour old man who has refused to allow industrialization on his land near the Archen border. As a result, it is the poorest part of Narnia

-Lord AUGUSTINE, the youngest of the Telmarine lords, greatly enthused by the industrialization and one of Peter's closest supporters

-Lord DRINIAN, a close friend of Caspian's from childhood. Raised to the council after the VDT

-The Old Narnian members of their royal council:

-GLENSTORM, commander of the royal army

-TRUMPKIN and TRUFFLEHUNTER

-NAUSUS, a faun; PELINOR, a minotaur

-PEEPICHEEK, raised to the council after Reepicheep's departure. Also commands one of the battalions of the royal army.

-Other characters

-EUSTACE, recently appointed Lord of Beaversdam

-FINNIGAN, a dwarf serving under Peepicheek at Alba's castle, where their battalion is training

-Sir GREYDELL, a centaur, Peter's aide-de-camp

-NAIN, King of Archenland, and DORRIN, his son and heir

-OSCUNS, a schoolmaster in Donnon's harbor city

* * *

><p>And here's the summary of the rest of Part III.<p>

**Part III- Edmund, A Brave New World**

**Chapter 28**

-The Duke of Galma staggers out to the battlements. It's morning, and he's dealing with a hangover from the feast the night before. He notices Lord Donnon about to leave the castle. Galma wonders about why Donnon is heading west instead of south, back to his castle, but soon forgets and goes back to bed. Donnon is going to Beaversdam to establish works to build artillery in secret.

-After a second night of feasting, Alicia slips away from the feast. She's sick and tired of the insipidness and shallowness, and wonders if she can ever leave it behind. Peter goes out to find her. They discuss some of their shared beliefs. Peter proposes, and Alicia asks to think more about it.

-The next morning, Alicia goes to ask her confidante Lucy what she thinks. Lucy is hurriedly writing a letter, hoping to finish it before a ship sails for Galma on the morning tide. Lucy is distracted and, having only recently returned after travelling for so long, thinks that Alicia is talking about Edmund. Alicia never says who proposed, and everything she says could be interpreted as referring to either brother. Lucy advises Alicia to accept the proposal. Ends with this: _"Lucy, with a smile on her lips, dipped her quill back into the inkstand and continued writing. It was only later that she realized she had not asked which brother Alicia was referring to."_

-Peter announces the engagement during the feasting that night

**Chapter 29**

-Edmund congratulates Alicia and Peter, then goes outside as quickly as he can. Largely introspective chapter, with Edmund starting to sink into self-pity and thinking about all his lost chances.

-The Duke of Galma comes by to complain about Narnia's new naval power being used to establish a banana republic in Terebinthia. Edmund tells him that he doesn't like it but can do nothing. The Duke tries to say more, but Edmund brushes him off. He's going to go for a ride in the country, supposedly on a tour of inspection but really to escape.

**Chapter 30**

-As Lord Bern had predicted in VDT, the closing of the slave trade in the Lone Islands is leading to war with Calormen. Deprived of labor for their fields, recovering Calormene agriculture has taken another hit. Only Narnian and Archen grain shipments are keeping the country from collapse, though it is costing the Calormenes heavily. A party in the Tisroc's court successfully argues in favor of invasion, and discovery of the path that Cor took to escape Calormen enables a new army to march.

-As Edmund rides past a factory town, he finds a faun about to be whipped. The faun has sabotaged the factory equipment, and the punishment is forty lashes. Upon finding out that the faun's wife, who also worked in the factory, had died coughing away her life recently, Edmund reduces the punishment to twenty lashes. The faun invokes an old Telmarine law, which says that one who passes a sentence can be made to carry it out. Edmund has to whip the faun. Before he does, the faun says:

"_I'm glad that it's you who will punish me." "Why so?" " I admire you, King Edmund, I really do. But I loathe and despise every bloody thing that you and your family stand for. Our lion that you dare to disgrace with your royal banners…"_

"_Treason!" shouted some, and "don't let that pass, your majesty!" But Edmund silenced this with a raised hand. "Pray continue," he said slowly. "You will not be punished for what you say."_

"_The day will come when the Narnian people will rip those banners down from your precious factories and on that day, I want you to remember me. When you question this famed justice of yours, when all true Narnians laugh at it, remember me."_

Edmund carries out the whipping and sends a message to Lucy to investigate the death of the faun's wife.

-At Lord Alba's castle on the border of Archenland, Peepicheek and Finnigan's battalion is nearly done with their training and is about to leave, to go back north. Finnigan asks to talk to his commander in private. He's found a weapons cache hidden in the basements. He describes it:

"_Pikes, bills, the sort o' weapon peasants 'ould fight with."_

_Peepicheek shrugged. "We're on the front line in case of a Calormene invasion, Finn," he pointed out. "They must be for his own people to fight with. Hearth and home, as they say."_

"_Alba has two hundred men, tops," the dwarf almost shouted. "There's weapons enough for a thousand 'ere."_

"_Finnigan," the mouse answered in a low voice, "Are you suggesting that Lord Alba is planning something treasonous?"_

"_I suggest nuthin'. I accuse. There's treachery afoot here, I'm certain."_

_There was no sound besides the wind whistling through the ramparts as these words settled in. Peepicheek tapped his rapier nervously. He knew Reepicheep would have immediately confronted the Telmarine, and doubtless only one would leave the encounter alive. But he was not Reepicheep, and he recognized the weight that an accusation against a fellow lord and counselor would have to carry._

_If Reepicheep's memory was not so hallowed, his nephew would have cursed him for leaving so much responsibility on his shoulders. He could not make a mistake here…It was one thing to fight or to lose a tail. It was another to deal with honor, and reputation, and prestige._

"_I wouldn't tell their majesties until there is more proof," Peepicheek finally said. "Tell Trumpkin, though. If there's one person who can get to the bottom of this, it's him."_

**Chapter 31**

-A few weeks have passed. Edmund is finding a little bit of peace working among the people, when a messenger finds him. He's needed at Beaversdam, where the army is assembling. Spies have found that Calormen will be invading through Cor's path.

-At Beaversdam, Peter reveals to the gathered monarchs and council that Donnon has already produced several cannon, and that Eustace has prepared gunpowder. Edmund and several of the lords are furious at usurpation of power, since such large expenditures had to be approved by the council. Peter gets around this by claiming that it was his and Donnon's personal money. Alicia also feels sick at the underhandedness and begins to internally question Peter's honor.

-After the council files out, one of the lords tells Alba that their plan has been discovered, but that he thinks he can keep it quiet. Alba thanks his "dear little friend."

**Chapter 32**

-The Narnia army, with artillery, marches to the valley that the Calormenes are coming up. An Archen force meets them; Prince Dorrin tells them that his skirmishers have killed at least forty Calormenes. Edmund remarks that only leaves three thousand, nine-hundred and sixty.

-Edmund and Caspian want to ambush the Calormenes from the sides of the valley, but Peter insists on meeting the Calormenes head-on. He wants to demonstrate the power of the artillery.

-The Calormene cavalry charges and is slaughtered by the artillery. They can only advance up a narrow valley, and the rock surrounding them is shattered by the cannonballs and flies among them, creating even more chaos.

-Edmund reflects:

_He had to admit there was a certain savage beauty in the maelstrom of flying rock and metal, but it was a beauty only a Picasso, with his "Guernica", could appreciate. To all others, it was simply death. _

_Edmund thought of the battle of Castillon, and of Jean Bureau's French artillery savaging the English chivalry and destroying England's continental empire. He thought of the Light Brigade charging the Russian guns at Sevastopol. He thought of Wagnerianly doomed charges of flesh and blood, leather saddles and iron horseshoes, against barbed wire and machine guns at Mons and Arras. And as the Calormenes charged and died at the mouths of those black guns, he knew that chivalry and the Narnia he had known were about to die as well._

-After the battle, Peter talks of producing firearms en masse, and several of the council, such as Peepicheek, Nausus the faun, and Pelinor the minotaur, are immensely enthused. The army will return to Beaversdam, and the council will vote on approving mass production of artillery and firearms there.

**Chapter 33**

-Back at Beaversdam, Edmund thinks about how, in the Golden Age, Peridan was always there with sage advice, and now he doesn't know what to do.

-Lord Alba and Trumpkin come to Edmund. They show him the morning newspaper reporting on the victory. It's full of praise for the new artillery, and Lord Donnon, who had been interviewed by the paper, obliquely sniped at those who had opposed the artillery. They point out that public opinion is being influenced in favor of the artillery, and they want Edmund to speak out against it. They've come to the same conclusion as Edmund: the artillery will mean that all power will be concentrated in the royal army, which means the ends of the feudal balance of power. Royal absolutism is imminent, as Edmund knows from history. The lords need a leader, and Edmund is the only one who is well-respected enough to stop Peter.

-Edmund is conflicted. He agrees with Alba and Trumpkin, but doesn't want to oppose his brother. He's basically given up on speaking up for what he believes is right. Finally, he asks Alba and Trumpkin if they have any idea on how to stop Peter. The two lords look at each other and say no. Edmund scoffs and thinks that they are weak imitations of the lords like Peridan Narnia once had.

**Chapter 34**

-Alicia is walking in town. A couple strange sicknesses has been getting worse and worse among the townpeople over the last year. She comes across Eustace and a townsperson arguing about the artillery. The townsperson uses Caspian's quote from VDT:

"But that would be putting the clock back," gasped the governor. "Have you no idea of progress, of development?"

"I have seen them both in an egg," said Caspian. "We call it `Going Bad' in Narnia. This trade must stop."

-She returns to the castle, where Lucy is reporting to the assembled siblings. She and her doctors have been secretly performing autopsies on some of the patients who've died recently. Though they aren't aware of the modern names, lung cancer and lead poisoning have become prevalent among the factory workers; not being used to the smoke and the toxic materials they're working with, and with no known ways to eliminate these, dozens of Narnians have been killed and hundreds are sick.

-They all realize that this could stop the industrialization if the truth is found out; Narnians will refuse to work in the factories. Peter orders them to keep it quiet for the moment, saying that the chaos would destroy the country and leave it vulnerable. He insists that the industrialization can and will continue, and argues that Edmund and Lucy are only trying to stop the artillery.

-Alicia realizes that she's always cared for what Peter could have been and not what he's really become—a man who's become so obsessed with modernization and strengthening Narnia that he no longer cares about the people that make Narnia.

**Chapter 35**

-Alicia, Lucy and Edmund talk. Lucy points out that Peter's being a hypocrite; he claims that continuing the industrialization will save lives, but he doesn't seem to care about the lives that are being lost there and then. They also note that if the industrialization is stopped, so will the artillery. Alicia remarks that the people have a right know the truth.

-Edmund goes back to his rooms to think. He remembers the faun, and realizes that he's whipped an innocent Narnian for what was really their own fault, for not stopping Peter earlier. He remembers the faun's words; he hasn't been the Just. Then:

_Edmund watched the cream dissolving in his coffee, reflecting on the latest events. The cream seemed to represent his being…a last bit of innocence dissolving in a sea of darkness. It was well and fine to talk of art, but life had become more Picasso than Rembrandt. _

_Ethics and propriety could go to Tash, he thought. His people were dying, metal death was being unleashed on the world of Narnia, and there was no sign of Aslan. He had one last card to play, and play it he would. If it meant the destruction of all that his title represented, then so be it._

_88888_

_Pattertwig was the editor of The Whispering Willow, Beaversdam's largest and most influential newspaper. He had control over what everybody from King Peter to the merchants to the scullery maids read with Sunday breakfast, and yet he was frightened. It was not every day, after all, that a monarch sent him a summons to a dingy tavern._

_And there he was, seated in a corner sipping a cheap beer. It was not particularly surprising to see Edmund there; he was known for visiting all parts of the city, listening to the concerns of his people. But it was the expression on his face that especially surprised the squirrel. Edmund rarely smiled, but it was also rare for him to have the fierceness in his look as he surveyed the crowd. The people, for once, were staying clear._

"_You…you sent for me, your majesty?" the squirrel managed to stammer._

_Pattertwig remained rooted to the ground as the king gave him a hard look, and then, to his surprise, looked around at the crowd again and called the innkeeper over. "A mug for Master Pattertwig, and ten lions to clear out the tavern. Drinks for all the customers when I leave, that's a good man. Well, don't just stand there gawking, Pattertwig. Have a seat."_

_The squirrel did not touch the drink that the innkeeper placed in front of him before disappearing into the back. "Did I do something wrong, your majesty? If I did, I am so very sorry…"_

"_No, as a matter of fact, you have done nothing wrong. Can I swear you to secrecy? Yes? Very well, there's a story that I believe your paper should print this weekend…"_

Edmund realizes that by informing the newspaper, he's again directly disobeyed his brother and done something that can be considered treason. But now he believes it's the right thing to do. (Note: I had this idea before the Snowden affair. It's not inspired by him.)

**Chapter 36**

-Alicia reflects on how, once again, everything she believes in has been destroyed. First, it was her conceptions on Telmarines and Narnians; now, it's her perceptions of Peter. She's been blind to his faults, and, like Edmund, blames herself for allowing Peter to have his way. She desperately wants to have somebody she can trust. Then she realizes that's always been Edmund, and she never appreciated that.

-She goes to Edmund's room. Edmund talks of how, when he was walking to the White Witch's castle in LWW, he had also wanted Narnia industrialized. They realizes that Narnia doesn't need factories or even a rebuilt Cair Paravel to be Narnia; it's the people that make it so beautiful, and so the people must come first, even if that means destroying a decade's worth of progress.

-Edmund admits that he's always loved Alicia. They end up in each other's arms, admitting that they need each other. By trying to carve their own paths, they've created their own senses of loneliness, and Narnia has suffered as a result.

**End of Part III, A Brave New World**


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